Designing for People and Performance: Lessons from Accessibility and Energy Codes
- refaa7
- Sep 15, 2025
- 2 min read
Today I worked through a big batch of city comments on a small restaurant project. At first glance, it didn’t seem like much, the project isn’t very large but I found myself surprisingly energized by the process.
The comments were detailed, especially around accessibility. As I reviewed each one, I pictured the real-life journey of someone with a disability: parking their car, finding the ramp, reading or feeling the signage, smoothly opening the entrance door, moving up to the counter, ordering food, sitting at a table, finding the restroom, and leaving safely even in an emergency with exit signs and illuminated egress paths guiding the way.
It struck me how accessibility codes require us to design for the entire experience, not just isolated details. The goal is independence, dignity, and comfort for every person who walks through the door.
And that reflection made me realize: energy codes ask for the same thing, just from another perspective.
Where accessibility codes imagine the journey of a person through a space, energy codes imagine the journey of light, air, and heat through the same environment. Both ask us to anticipate scenarios, think about comfort, and make sure the design supports real life.
For example:
Accessible design: smooth transitions at entrances.
Energy design: insulated doors and glazing to keep conditioned air where it belongs.
Accessible design: clear, legible signage to guide a visitor.
Energy design: efficient lighting that reduces glare while saving electricity.
Accessible design: restrooms with proper clearances.
Energy design: restrooms with proper ventilation and water heating efficiency.
When you design with both lenses, you end up with a space that is not only welcoming but also comfortable and sustainable. Accessibility removes barriers for people; energy efficiency removes barriers for performance and long-term affordability.
The overlap is in the mindset: visualize the scenarios before they happen. Imagine the parent with a stroller, the older adult sensitive to drafts, the visually impaired guest reading signage, or the diner enjoying a space that isn’t overheated by the afternoon sun. The details whether measured in clearances or R-values add up to an environment that works.
In the end, codes are not just checklists to “pass” permitting. They’re frameworks that push us to create buildings that are more reliable, more inclusive, and more aligned with how people actually live, move, and feel.
Design for people. Design for performance. That’s when architecture becomes more than drawings it becomes experience.
— An Architectural Associate Refaa Alkhatib
CEA | LEED GA | M.S Sustainable Architecture
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