Enabling greater freedom through architecture

Architecture should essentially work for the people who use it, providing highly functional spaces where occupants can conduct their lives as efficiently and enjoyably as possible. Overlooking this seemingly simple element can cause even the most ambitious plans to fail. This is even more relevant when the plans are for a building which will be used by people with disabilities. The most recent census conducted shows that almost 15% of all residents of London are recognized as having a disability. However, much of the historical architecture across Britain was not constructed with disabilities in mind, which means many people struggle to use them with ease. Thankfully, most modern architecture takes this important value into account, allowing for easier and more comfortable access and use for everyone.While we've always appreciated the need to ensure that our architecture can either directly enable or easily be adapted for those with disabilities, an event held a few years ago allowed us to appreciate just how important this is. We were honoured when the KIDS charity selected us as one of twenty design practices to create a dolls' house that emphasised the importance of disabled access.The KIDS charity has provided invaluable help and assistance to children with disabilities for over forty years, so we were very happy to take part in this project. The "Inside Out" house we created for their exhibition raised awareness of their work and also highlighted the importance of enabling the disabled through architecture. To this day we remain thankful for the experience and what it taught us.As our clients know, empathy, functionality and context are at the forefront of our thinking when we are working on any kind of commercial or residential architecture in London and beyond. Whether it is to cater for specific disabilities or to allow for modifications at a future date, we ensure that what our work is always empowering and practical for the people who will be using it.