i + D - September/October 2020 - 26

Contributors

1. Brian J. Barth, Take Refuge
"Those who have the least stand to benefit the most
from designers' talents," states Brian about how
design can play a role in societal change, especially
in facilities that house the homeless and lowerincome families (the subject of his article, p. 34).
"I believe that should be the primary role of
design." While conducting his interviews on
the topic of shelters and low-income housing,
Brian says he was fascinated "in learning all the
methods designers use to create beautiful, healing
environments on tight budgets-budgets that
normally [might] result in fairly dismal spaces."
2. Jessica Goldbogen Harlan,
Accessible Milestone
Thirty years have passed since the Americans with
Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed into law, and
such a significant milestone (the subject of Jessica's
article, p. 42) should be celebrated, mainly because
so many design elements that were initiated, such as
ramps or level entrances, "are now so commonplace
that we don't even think of them," explains Jessica.
"That is the ultimate achievement of those who
advocated for and contributed to the creation of the
ADA-that people of all abilities can interact with
a space without thinking about whether they'll have
issues navigating it." She was amazed by how much
she learned from all her sources. "In particular," she
illuminates, "I enjoyed interviewing Robert Wilkoff,
who grew up in the accessible-design world, as
his father was a consultant during the creation of

5.
3.
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the ADA. I was really impressed with some of the
examples of creative solutions he's found...so his
clients can enjoy more independence."
3. Diana Mosher, Vital Signs
After writing her article on the ASID resiliency
study (p. 18), Diana shares these takeaways:
"Keep your network and communication channels
open, because you never know who your next
client will be or where they'll come from. Look
for innovative ways to partner with experts from
other disciplines. And be a mentor to boost your
social wellbeing while also building personal and
industry resilience." Simply put, according to
Diana, resiliency and relationships work together-
an especially important (although challenging)
undertaking during these pandemic times. Likewise,
resiliency also encompasses the significant impact
of designing for accessibility, particularly "to enable
everyone to participate more fully in work, social,
and travel activities outside their homes," she says.
4. Brian Libby, Correcting Corrections
Brian believes design is fundamental to social
change: the blueprint we use to build a better future.
"But," he adds, "it has to go hand in hand with
humane socioeconomic policy. The laws we pass
and the budgets we allocate are forms of design."
When he researched his article on the design of
correctional facilities (p. 28), Brian learned that only
a handful of correctional facilities at the local and
county level demonstrate best practices. "[There's]

i+D - September/October 2020

a very steep hill to climb in terms of reforming our
deeply flawed criminal justice system," he stresses.
"Unfortunately, the overwhelming majority of these
facilities only dehumanize prisoners and increase the
likelihood they'll commit crimes again. It's almost as
if we design most correctional facilities with repeat
offending as the goal."
5. Ambrose Clancy,
ICONic Profile: Jill Pable
"Design is one of the key components that makes
change possible, and it's so often overlooked,"
says Ambrose. "It's simple-people need more
than a place, a street corner, or the woods to live
to be fully human. They need safety; order; and a
sense of calm, clarity, and beauty." His thoughts
were further clarified after his conversation with
the professional spotlighted in this issue's ICONic
Profile (p. 40): Jill Pable, a professor at Florida State
University and project lead at Design Resources for
Homelessness. "I was struck by Jill's own experience
of understanding people who are homeless, of
actually going to them and spending time to find
that, as she said, 'They're just like me,'" he recalls.

Image 1: Christine Nobel/Image 2: Erin Brauer/Image 3: Rashidah De Vore/Image 4: Grace Kook-Anderson/Image 5: Kirk Condyles

Resiliency. Compassionate surroundings.
Accessibility. Such barrier breakthroughs
in design are among the topics in this issue
of i+D. As usual, our authors provide their
thought-provoking perspectives on these
and other aspects of the built environment,
all of which ultimately relate to safety,
health, and wellbeing. - Linda K. Monroe

i + D - September/October 2020

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