Firm: B+H Advance Strategy

Project Name: Inclusive Tech Lab

Project Statement: We were asked to design a space that would welcome and accommodate users with different accessibility needs for a company that’s developing more inclusive technology solutions. The overarching mandate for this project was to create a space with the users and not just for the users so they can test hardware and software products to see if they’ll work in the real world. The resulting space is a technology lab that is truly inclusive and welcoming to people with all types of accessibility challenges. Our highly collaborative process challenged every single convention in detail to find ways to improve accessibility.

Mobile and customizable furniture and carefully selected materials and flooring transitions facilitate navigation and remove barriers for accessibility. We addressed light sensitivities with adjustable lighting options and demarcated flooring zones for people with low visibility. Extensive research determined the best patterns and colors to differentiate the space for visually impaired people, while not overly stimulating to a sensitive audience. Acoustic wall panels and ceiling baffles reduce echoes and sound bounce back for people with acoustical sensitivities. The different scenarios created within the space allow for a truly customizable user experience and allow the tech lab team to test, modify, and iterate their products

The Inclusive Tech Lab is now open to the public and serves as an educational space to showcase and test-drive inclusive technologies.

This project is centered around the well-being of users whose needs are often overlooked in a typical office space. We identified all the touch points throughout the entire space and asked, “how can we make this better?” We looked at every off the shelf product and detail, from door handles to carpet, to lighting and worked with the users and manufacturers to customize pieces to go above and beyond normal accessibility standards. This meant challenging every assumption and going beyond accepted ADA standards to create a space that was not just physically accessible but emotionally safe and welcoming.

Joslyn Balzarini
Principal, Interiors
Bryan Berg
Principal, Experience Design
Karol Szygorski
Senior Project Manager
Kelly Knowles
Interior Designer
Danny Huang
Senior Experiential Graphic Designer

Acoustical Engineering | Tenor | Erik Miller-Klein | Principal of Acoustical Engineering

Lighting Design | Dark Light Design | Jill Cody | Principal

Accessibility Consulting | Studio Pacifica | Karen L. Braitmayer | Managing Principal

Contractor | Lease Crutcher Lewis | Cody Klansnic | Project Engineer