San Diego State University

With Zagrodnik + Thomas Architects, SDSU and NSAD

The Interwork Institute provides diverse rehabilitation and education programs and promotes the integration of all individuals, regardless of ability or disability, into all aspects of education, work, family, and community life.

To demonstrate this mission in their own facility, the design proposal celebrated equal access to all and created a community space around a travel path, that also provided easy egress to upper levels.

A Neuro-Architectural approach stepped through  evidence-based medical and universal principles to create new design ideas. Design development focused on how the space would address those with visual, auditory, movement and cognitive disorders.

Once each sensory modality was addressed individually, they were considered together to ensure that adaptations for those with visual challenges also served those with movement or auditory challenges.