"codes +" essay

Our experience with the various requirements to support human activities and needs concerning our shelter:bus was challenging. Although we, as a group, thought that we had designed our buses thoughtfully, the “codes +” charrette proved differently.

What we would recommend to other designers when creating a space in which humans will interact with, is to pay close attention to every detail, large and small, to ensure that the experience one will have with the space will not only be enjoyable, but equally accessible for all. For example, when considering a space for an individual who may be in a wheelchair, you need not only think about the space it will take to enter the room, but also the dimensions for turning around, turning around an object, backing up, and approaching the space horizontally and vertically. These considerations, unfortunately, were not thought of when designing our prototype shelter:bus. The codes that need be applied to most every space are very helpful in further considering your design and its impact on those we will interact with it. For example, when sitting at a desk you must think of how much clearance an average person would need and also how much someone who is not average would need and combine the two. The codes really helped us, as a group, to look at every inch of our space differently.

The overall experience with the “codes +” charrette was difficult at first but was very helpful in the end. The regulations and requirements to support human activities is something that will enhance our designing capabilities because they really taught us to not only look at our space in our shelter:bus completely different, but also that we must always consider who we are designing for in order to have a successful and welcoming design.