It is essential that buildings and public spaces are designed in such a way that they are accessible to all members of the community. They should be free of the many barriers that often exclude older and disabled people, including those with sensory and cognitive disabilities, and set the standard in terms of accessible design.

The Inclusive Design team at Buro Happold is well practised in applying the principles of inclusive and barrier-free design in construction projects, from offices and hotels to sports stadia and retail malls. Our service also encompasses outdoor sites, transportation systems and fire evacuation planning.

Working as an integral part of Buro Happold’s multi-disciplinary design teams, we set out the principals of accessibility to ensure that the requirements of disabled people are included at an early stage in the design and planning – as well as meeting the client’s aspirations for both functionality and aesthetics.
 
Our team is well equipped to provide pragmatic advice on a range of practical and economic measures to improve service delivery and facilities. Bringing our knowledge of the everyday requirements of disabled people to the overall design process can result in the creation of exciting and sustainable architectural solutions.

The access statement – or statements - for the project are particularly important on historic or listed buildings, where achieving the building regulations may not seem possible. We will advise how the access solutions proposed meet the statutory requirements of legislation such as the Disability Discrimination Act.