Design for the lifespan of the building, not the current planned use.

How many times has your client tried to convince you that there is no need for accessibility/inclusion for people of all abilities in THEIR project?  “We don’t get people who use wheelchairs in our building!” (makes me wonder about the usability of their front door….)  “Our employees must be ablebodied to do the job so we don’t need to make anything accessible.”

A classic example is a firehouse.  Certainly, the nature of the job requirements for firefighter include the ability to climb stairs with 100 pounds of hose on our back – this is an unlikely job for a wheelchair user.  And they get to slide down that cool pole.  However, if your building has a 50 – 100 year lifespan, what is the likelihood that that firehouse will remain a firehouse for the duration of its useful life?

In a quick Internet search, I found these firehouses that are being used or sold for other needs.  Imagine how much less cost and resources you would have had to spend to include the elevator or the accessible toilet room at the beginning than to renovate.  Is that a “greener” option?  More socially sustainable, surely.

Design for the planned lifespan of the building and the range of abilities of the future users, planned or not.