Finishes
When selecting finishes, the team considered the tactile quality of surfaces. Wherever appealing or interesting finishes were used on the ceiling, they were also wrapped down the walls so they could be felt, if not seen. Wood-slat ceiling finishes were specified in major spaces to create a sense of warmth while providing needed acoustical control. These were also wrapped down the walls, and provided with eased corners to make them pleasant to touch. High-contrast materials were specified throughout for maximum discernment by low-vision users. Many with low vision can see some color, and rich, saturated jewel tones are most easily discerned. Therefore, in small training rooms, bright and bold-colored felt acoustical panels were used on ceilings and walls to provide strong sound control with a fun look and feel.
Circulation stair
The heart and spine of the project is the new stair, which connects the three floors of the LightHouse. The desire was for a sense of connection between the three floors. A walled-off stair, even one behind glass, was not appropriate because it would not allow sound to move between the floors.
The LightHouse team wanted to ensure sound would flow between the floors, so users have a sense of activity above and below. The stair also has numerous features that were tested and mocked up in advance, including acoustics.
When taking the stairs, one rarely thinks about the feel of the handrail, but this component received special thought and attention. Made of Brazilian softwood, the detailing makes the handrail visually beautiful. It is lightweight and structurally expressive, but its beauty had to translate to those unable to see it. This entailed creating a set of 3D-printed mockups of various handrail profiles.
Here, Chris Downey’s collaboration was instrumental. Working with Downey, the team came up with an ergonomically pleasing shape that fits the hand. It is not a typical round handrail profile—the top of the rail is a rounded half-ellipse for the fingers to wrap around, and underneath is a slightly concave groove, providing the thumb a comfortable resting place as it slides along the rail. This allows the hand to rest in a natural position. Such attention to craft means the detail of the stair can be felt as well as seen; it is another example of not biasing the design toward sighted users. This is part of what Downey termed the “non-visual aesthetic” of the space.
Another subtle feature of the stair is the nosing on its treads. The California Building Code (California Code of Regulations, Title 24, Part 2) requires a contrasting strip on only the top and bottom nosings of a stair run, but for low-vision users, it is more helpful to have these strips on every step, and to make them wider. Additionally, different stairs have different reflective properties—the top and bottom stairs have a satin finish, giving them a higher contrast with their nosing, while the middle ones are matte, and thus are lower in contrast.
The nosing itself is also specially designed. Initially, the architects chose a standard off-the-shelf grooved aluminum bar for the nosing profile, but when Downey and Bashin tested it with their canes, they found the tip of the cane caught on the grooves, which was not only uncomfortable, but also potentially dangerous. To solve this problem, the designers made another series of 3D prints, to determine the optimal groove width, depth, and spacing for cane-users. The resulting profile has shallow, narrow grooves to avoid catching cane tips while still providing slip resistance.
Looking back and looking forward
Now that the LightHouse has been in its new home for just over a year, the organization has reported back to the architects that the space is just what was hoped for: bright, lively, and adaptable to accommodate users with varying degrees of visual acuity. The LightHouse has hosted a variety of events, including immersive training sessions in the top-floor dorms, blind cooking classes in the two teaching kitchens, and meetings with representatives from area tech companies working on making apps accessible to the blind.
This project was truly a unique opportunity for the architects at Mark Cavagnero Associates, and there are many aspects they plan on carrying forward in their practice. The design team sees value in approaching future projects with particular attention to color and contrast, wayfinding, and making comfortable environments through thoughtful consideration of lighting and acoustics. True to the principles of universal design, making a space accessible and functional for those with disabilities allows it to function better for all the occupants.
Mark Cavagnero, FAIA, is founding principal at Mark Cavagnero Associates. His architectural work includes a broad range of renovation and new construction work for cultural, civic, and institutional clients. Cavagnero’s 30-year career, which began in the New York office of Edward Larrabee Barnes/John M.Y. Lee Architects, continues the tradition of Modernism in the United States. He founded Mark Cavagnero Associates in 1993, and has guided its growth into a design-centered practice serving clients internationally. Cavagnero can be reached via e-mail at markc@cavagnero.com.
Katy Hawkins, LEED AP, has been practicing architecture in San Francisco for 12 years, following four years working as a structural engineer. She has been a project manager at Mark Cavagnero Associates since 2014, working on tenant improvement and new construction projects for nonprofit organizations such as the LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired and the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Hawkins can be reached via e-mail at katyh@cavagnero.com.
