As part of the revitalization effort for Old Town Avondale, SmithGroupJJR designed a new 13,000-square-foot library. The entire fi rst fl oor is devoted to children’s learning and develop- ment, while the second fl oor is for teenagers and adults.
ADA Retrofit Design
A look at the unique challenges architects face while seeking ADA compliancy By Marcy Marro, Managing Editor
is important to stay current with the regulations.” In 2010, the Department of Justice released its
It’s been 22 years since the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 went into effect. Signed into law by President George H.W. Bush, the ADA prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in employment, state and local govern- ment, public accommodations, commercial fa- cilities, transportation and telecommunications. Lori Buchanan, architect at SmithGroupJJR in
Phoenix, notes that ADA is a civil rights law that sets up minimum levels of accommodations for building, but each project needs to explore who will be utilizing the building and decide if the minimums are adequate. She goes on to say that ADA is about universal design, and making spaces accessible to as many people as possible—the disabled, elderly, young, etc.—so they can experience and utilize a space. “This is not a stagnant process, but a dynamic and constantly changing process; thus, it
fi rst revised regulations for Title II and Title III of the ADA, while also adopting the 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design. The standards, which went into effect on March 15, 2012, have been retooled to be more user-friendly for building code offi cials, builders and architects, and have also been harmo- nized with state and local accessibility codes. “Several factors contribute to an increased
focus on accessibility,” says Mark Siwik, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, a construction observer and ADA specialist at Legat Architects, Waukegan, Ill. “For example, a number of mobility devices in use today didn’t exist or were in limited use in prior decades. Also, more people with a greater variety of disabili- ties are using buildings today. This is because there are many more types of programs or services being offered. Among the types of facilities that now re- quire accessibility are recreational facilities ranging from amusement parks to fi tness centers; boating, fi shing, golf and miniature golf facilities; play areas; swimming pools and spas.”