If you could be 80 years old for 30 minutes—and have to readjust everything you think you know about your own mobility—would you do it?
That was the idea behind TOTO’s Universal Design experience at the AIA National Convention, in which participants donned Velcro bands intended to mimic muscle and joint stiffness. Once assembled, the suit challenged participants to do simple bathroom tasks like get out of a wheelchair and onto a toilet, or wheel up to a sink to wash their hands. Weights around the ankles, stiff bands around the major joints and torso, vision-impairing goggles, and ear plugs that muffled high-frequency sounds ensured that even the act of turning around proved difficult.
Source: AIA
Related Stories
| Feb 28, 2013
Daniel J. Rectenwald promoted to chief operating officer of HGA
HGA Architects and Engineers (HGA) has promoted Daniel J. Rectenwald, AIA, to Chief Operating Officer. He will oversee daily operation of the firm’s design and business strategies across seven national offices.
| Feb 28, 2013
Videos reveal City 2.0 ideas from 2012 TED Prize winners
Thought leader TED has released eight new videos from winners of its 2012 TED Prize: the City 2.0. The prize went to 10 winners involved in urban issues, including education, safety, health, food, and public space.
| Feb 28, 2013
Greeening Silicon Valley: Samsung's new 1.1 million-sf HQ
Samsung Electronics' new 1.1 million sf San Jose campus will support at least 2,500 sales and R&D staff in the company's semiconductor and display businesses.
| Feb 28, 2013
BIA opens entries for 2013 Brick in Architecture Awards
The Brick Industry Association (BIA) has opened entry submissions for its 2013 Brick In Architecture Awards—with a new Renovation/Restoration category and new category divisions this year. BIA’s annual awards honor architectural excellence and sustainable design nationwide that incorporates clay brick products as the predominant exterior building or paving material.
| Feb 27, 2013
Marvin Windows and Doors now accepting entries for fifth annual Marvin Architect’s Challenge
Architects have an opportunity for their best work to compete on a global stage in the fifth annual Marvin Architect’s Challenge. Previous winners of Marvin Windows and Doors’ prestigious award program have come from Spain, Ireland and across the United States — with their work among the world’s finest.
| Feb 27, 2013
Bronx residents get LEED Platinum public housing complex, rooftop farm
The New York City Housing Authority has opened Arbor House, a 124-unit LEED Platinum complex in the Morrisania neighborhood of the Bronx.
| Feb 25, 2013
HOK sustainability expert Mary Ann Lazarus tapped by AIA for strategy consulting position
Mary Ann Lazarus, FAIA, LEED® AP BD+C, has accepted a two-year consulting position with the American Institute of Architects in Washington, DC. Her new position, which begins March 1, will focus on increasing the AIA's impact on sustainability across the profession. The St. Louis-based architect will continue consulting at HOK.
| Feb 25, 2013
First look: Google's new HQ is engineered for creative collisions
The new California "Googleplex" will be engineered to make sure no Google employee will be more than a 2.5 minute walk away from any other.
| Feb 25, 2013
AISC seeks proposals for development of BIM best practices guide
The American Institute of Steel Construction seeks assistance from BIM users in identifying and documenting best practices to facilitate the long-term standardization of BIM in structural steel construction.
| Feb 22, 2013
Westlake Reed Leskosky will renovate training center for Cleveland Browns
Local firm Westlake Reed Leskosky has been chosen to design renovations to the Cleveland Browns' Training and Administrative Complex in Berea, Ohio.
