The final project undertaken during the course of my undergraduate design studio sequence, the Center for Independent Living was an attempt to symbolize the significance of the contributions made to society by the organization of the same name. Established in the Bay Area during the 1960s, the Center for Independent Living was the first organization of its kind demanding comprehensive programs and reform to enable persons with disabilities the same public access rights as those of the non-disabled population. One of the lasting effects of this political advocacy was the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act, with the Center for Independent Living providing testimony from the West Coast during the legislative hearings.
Programmatically, the project brief called for a new facility to house the organization, replacing the single-story existing building on Telegraph Avenue. The program additionally called for exhibition space to highlight the historic efforts of the organization in the context of the independent living movement; an auditorium, ample meeting space, and universal design elements throughout the building were also requested.
In honoring the Center for Independent Living and its legislative achievements, the ramp became integral to the concept of the design; more than a simple device for circulation, the ramp took on special meaning as a symbol for fair and public access to the built environment. The ramp acts as the spine connecting the three floors of the building, providing additional public access from the higher elevation of the residential street west of the site to the lower elevation of the main avenue east of the site, a unique aspect of the designated site.
A cantilevered auditorium space distinguishes the main façade on the east elevation, suspended over a public seating area overlooking the street. In the courtyard, structural glass light wells illuminate and bring in natural light to the interiors of the ground floor space below. The ramp connecting all three levels of the building is easily visible from the courtyard.
Instructors: William di Napoli
