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Guide Dogs UK

Redbridge, UK

º£½ÇÊÓƵ supported Guide Dogs UK as a trusted client-side advisor to shape its vision for a new dog training centre and offices at its existing site in Redbridge.

We also worked with the wider design team, led by Kay Elliott Architects, to ensure best practice around accessibility and inclusive design, as well as providing design and advisory support on internal and external lighting.

Guide Dogs UK’s new regional centre in Redbridge is the charity’s first new building for 15 years.

We were engaged to deliver best practice around accessibility and inclusive design, and external and internal lighting.

Our experts delivered insight and suggested a range of design interventions to ensure accessibility and inclusivity for all building users.

We also advised on aspects such as spatial requirements, clarity in signage and finishings, and achieving inclusive spaces for people with neurodivergence.

Challenge

The first new building for the charity in 15 years, the project involves the reuse of an existing Green Belt site to deliver a highly and adaptable centre, which is targeting BREEAM Excellent accreditation, incorporates a range of biophilic elements, and has been carefully tailored to provide an environment that is fully conducive to both the dogs’ training and the wellbeing of staff, volunteers and service users.

We have worked closely with Guide Dogs UK for the past seven years to provide them with ad-hoc advisory and project specific design support around achieving accessibility and inclusivity best practice as part of refurbishments, adaptations or adjustments to many of their existing buildings.

The key role for our team was to provide a peer reviewing type role, to give oversight to all aspects of the design and deliver detailed advice and suggestions for refinements to improve the accessibility and inclusivity of the spaces. At every stage, the wellbeing of both the people and dogs who would ultimately be using the building had to be carefully assessed.

Solution

The new development sits within its own green space, therefore, it was subject to strict planning requirements, which limited the development to the area of the old dog kennels and access routes. The outcome has achieved both the biodiversity net gain (BNG) and greenbelt conservation requirements. The result is the creation of a range of environments for the safe training and exercising of the guide dogs alongside pleasant and efficient working facilities for staff. Routes around the site include exercise areas and replicas of road crossings with tactile warning surfaces and control posts designed to support this important part of the dogs’ training.

The design for the building itself, particularly the dog accommodation and training areas, had direct assessment from veterinarians as well as technical experts to ensure the welfare of the dogs as well as the wellbeing and comfort of the people using or visiting the space.

Our specialists delivered insight and suggestions for a range of design interventions to give accessibility and inclusivity for all building users. This involved compliance checking and reviewing finishes and features, including how to achieve inclusive spaces for people with sight loss and/or neurodivergence, particularly people experiencing sensory hypersensitivity and wider inclusion needs.

Daylighting was carefully assessed, with natural lighting introduced to the centre of the building via skylights to achieve a comfortable working environment for people and dogs alike. Artificial lighting is adjustable, with dimming controls throughout. This element of control is conducive to neuro-inclusivity considerations as well as being supportive of generating different environmental characteristics for different parts of the dogs’ training. External lighting considered a range of environmental impacts, including mitigating against disturbing bats and other wildlife.

The acoustics are also carefully managed throughout the design to prevent undue disturbance in the office spaces from the more vocal dogs. The neuro-inclusivity of the space is further supported by the building’s clear and concise layout and navigation and clear signage system which is a feature of all Guide Dogs UK buildings.

Value

Developing more inclusive spaces brings direct value to the client, helping the organisation to employ a wider range of people and retain staff by supporting their different needs. It also delivers considerable social value – by enhancing people’s quality of life, from full time members of staff to volunteers and supporters, as well as visitors and service users.

We helped to develop the design beyond the basic strictures of Building Regulations to strive for best practice for accessibility and inclusion, fully informed by British Standards such as (BSI) BS8300 codes of practice, PAS 6463 Designing for Neurodiversity principles, and BS30416 for menstrual and menopausal wellbeing in the workplace.