Our goal is to assist our clients in achieving design solutions that are seamlessly user-friendly for people of all ages and abilities. As logical as that may sound, this issue is all too often overlooked or undervalued in the design process. We invite you to explore our website, give us a call, and discover why this matters in your project.

Architecture shouldn’t come between people and the things they want to do

For centuries, most buildings have been designed for average people who never change. The critical flaws in this practice are obvious: not everyone is average, and over the course of a lifetime, we all change. Something as simple as a single step up, a heavy door, or dim lighting can be inconvenient—even disabling—to someone who doesn’t fit the designer’s definition of “average.” Sooner or later, everyone is affected. Although an injury, a chronic health condition, or a change associated with normal aging appears to be to blame, the real culprit is the constructed environment.

Those who design public places often assume that compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) yields a fully accessible, user-friendly environment. It doesn’t. Unnecessary obstacles and inconveniences are built into our world every day when architects fail to consider a long list of universal design issues not addressed in the ADA. In choosing to prioritize these issues in every project we complete, Lifespan Design Studio offers design solutions that work better for everyone, every day.