Paralyzed Veterans of America Honors Chicago-based Access Living for Accessible Design

by Russell Boniface
Associate Editor

How do you . . . design an accessible building that incorporates universal and green components?

Summary: Access Living of Metropolitan Chicago, a disability advocacy group in Chicago staffed mainly by people with disabilities, was awarded the 2007 Barrier-Free America Award by the Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA). Jack H. Catlin, FAIA, partner in Chicago-based LCM Architects, and Marca Bristo, president and CEO of Access Living of Metropolitan Chicago, both wheelchair users, received the award August 1 at an Access Living ceremony in Chicago. The four-story, 44,000-square-foot urban Access Living headquarters combines unique accessibility accommodations with universal, commercial, and green design. Its sustainable elements are designed to meet the criteria for LEED® Silver certification.

“The PVA is thrilled to recognize Access Living and LCM Architects for the work they had done,” says Greg Joyce, national vice president, Paralyzed Veterans of America and himself a wheelchair user. “I was just so floored. Both Marca and Jack have done some extraordinary things. They are shakers and movers in their own respective fields.”

“I was very proud when we received the award,” says Catlin. Four years ago, Access Living of Metropolitan Chicago, which in addition to its staff serves mainly clients with disabilities, began a fundraising effort for a new building and approached LCM Architects about a state-of-the-art accessible design that would incorporate universal and green components with a modern commercial appearance.

Universal but accessible design
Access Living of Metropolitan Chicago is located on a downtown site near bus transportation (Chicago buses are lift-equipped for wheelchair accessibility) on a major artery between two subway stations. One is accessible; the other is currently being reconfigured for accessibility.

“The vast majority of their clientele live in poverty because of their disabilities and use public transportation to get to the site,” explains Catlin. “They wanted a site that was easily accessible to public transportation.

“We worked for two years putting the design together and ended up with a building on an urban infill site that presented challenges. We had vertical transportation issues, such as the fact that most clients couldn’t use stairs, which highlighted getting people out in case of emergencies and making the green roof and below-grade parking accessible.” He and Richard Lehner, AIA, partner at LCM Architects, point out that it was both important to make the building accessible and include universal design elements.

They and Access Living held a symposium, moderated by Catlin, with facilities leaders to determine what needed to be addressed. Catlin says the results provided a design roadmap that would combine the special needs of the building’s users but still apply universal elements. “We didn’t want an institutional look,” notes Catlin. “Ninety percent is conventional, but the universal design is applied differently.” Adds Lehner, “Our design goal was that it look like an office building.”

Arriving at Access Living
Catlin and Lehner wanted the site to have no curb impediments for people with disabilities arriving by car, van, or walking. Explains Lehner: “Typically what happens is if you are exiting from a car and need to exit in your wheelchair, the car needs to pull out three to four feet into the street so you can get your wheelchair out between the car and the curb and transfer into it, then get back up and shut the door. What we did was extend the drop-off area into the sidewalk so it’s at the street level.”

“The accessible drop-off area,” adds Catlin, “allows a person in a car to get out at the street level, not on top of the curb. The wheelchair can come out and get on the street level for an easy transfer into the wheelchair, and a ramp takes you to the top of the curb.” Catlin and Lehner also provided room for vans to pull up at the same time and off-load people using ramps or lifts.

A 12-inch-wide black precast textured strip runs from the middle of the entrance doors across the sidewalk to the curb to allow sight-impaired persons with a cane to detect it. It is black against a light-gray sidewalk for people with some sight to see the contrast. The two sets of main entry sliding doors are hands-free, operating on microwave motion sensors. The strip that starts on the sidewalk is mimicked on the carpet inside to lead people to the reception desk. “The reception desk is on axis with the pair of sliding doors and the vestibule,” notes Catlin. “Using a wheelchair, one can approach it straight on, your knees can go under, and you are at a 30-inch height.”

Lehner points out that the reception area underscores the universal design. “A person approaching the reception desk in a wheelchair should have the same ability to use it as a person who doesn’t have a disability. That’s the premise behind the entire design—no one uses a back door or side door, and no one uses a ramp. Everybody comes in the same door and uses the same elevators.”

Two elevators, modular workspaces, and energy-efficiency
To accommodate the large number of people using wheelchairs, there are two large elevators, with floor readouts on each side. “Each is larger than a conventional elevator, sized to accommodate four wheelchair users,” describes Catlin. “There are larger buttons, doors on each side to avoid turning around, control panels on both sides, and a TTY phone text device for hearing impaired persons to respond in an emergency.”

Adjustable work stations accommodate wheelchair height and power wheelchairs, and low-VOC materials plan for chemical sensitivities. Each floor has two enlarged areas for rescue assistance in an emergency, both equipped with two-way communication. The lighting in the building is on a hands-free motion sensor to adjust amount and intensity. “In the large work areas on a sunny day, the lighting by the windows is barely on, but as you move further away the intensity increases,” explains Catlin. “We also used indirect fluorescent lightning that won’t create seizures.”

Water use is reduced through touchless water fountains and faucets. Bathroom soap and dryers are also hands-free, and 10 percent of the building material, including the furniture, use recycled material. Mechanical systems eliminate ozone-depleting refrigerants, and electrical outlets in the garage allow electric cars to recharge. On the top level, a vegetative roof reduces summertime heat and acts as an insulator in the winter.

Accessibility for everybody
“The PVA committee thought all the buildings’ applications made it uniquely set up to be the recipient of the Barrier-Free America Award,” says Joyce. “This is actually the second time Chicago has won the award, so they are a progressive city. We like to think of this award as being all about access: accessibility for everybody with any level of disability—mobility impaired, site impaired, hearing impaired ... everything.”