The post-Covid push to tempt staff back into offices is driving a wave of high-spec workplace design, but there is growing concern that visual impact is being prioritised over basic usability. Ian Streets, managing director of accessibility consultancy About Access, warns that some new schemes risk delivering only short-lived appeal if “improvements” and “innovations” turn out to be largely cosmetic.
Streets says recent assessments of several new office buildings reveal a common thread: they look impressive, but accessibility has clearly not been integral to the brief. In each case, the client and design team appear to have focused on creating a strong visual statement, often with the backing of high-profile architects, while overlooking how people with different needs will actually use the space.
One example is a development finished almost entirely in white – floors, walls, stairs and handrails. While some may find the aesthetic minimalist, the lack of tonal contrast makes it extremely difficult for visually impaired users to distinguish edges, changes in level and key features, turning circulation routes into potential hazards. Streets notes that such schemes may photograph well but can be bland for most users and actively dangerous for some.
Another building features a dramatic central staircase that doubles as part of the ventilation strategy. However, the stair has very deep treads and a slight downward tilt, creating a real risk of trips and falls, compounded by handrails recessed into the wall that are awkward to grip. In this case, a single design gesture intended as a focal point undermines both safety and accessibility.
Destination-controlled lifts are also highlighted as a growing issue. These systems, which allocate a specific lift car once a user selects their floor at a call point, can be problematic for people who are blind, partially sighted or slower to move across a lobby. Streets is aware of cases where users have missed their allocated lift because they could not reach it in time, a risk that increases in busy lobbies where wheelchair users may be obscured from view.
Beyond headline features, Streets points to a series of smaller design decisions that can cumulatively create significant barriers. Handrail brackets that interrupt a continuous grip can force users to release or loosen their hold, while rails that do not extend horizontally at landings remove an important cue for blind or partially sighted people that a change in level has been reached. Some users also rely on handrails for support before and after stairs or ramps, which needs to be reflected in detailing.
Reception desks are another recurring weakness. Streets notes that counters are often either oversized or ultra-minimalist, but frequently fail to provide appropriate working heights for both standing users and those of short stature or using wheelchairs. Good practice is to integrate two heights into a single, coherent unit so that all visitors can engage staff comfortably.
Other examples include sliding glass doors with floor-mounted locks that are awkward or impossible for some people to operate, and highly polished floors that create confusing reflections and can appear to some users as voids or changes in level. Glass doors, walls and tables without adequate manifestation markings are also a concern, as they can be difficult to detect and increase the risk of collision.
Streets reports finding low-level power sockets hidden under desks, raising the question of who is expected to access them safely. He argues that such details illustrate a wider pattern: designers becoming “dazzled” by their own concepts and overlooking how everyday tasks will be carried out by a diverse workforce.
He concludes that however “swanky” new offices may appear on opening day, enthusiasm will quickly fade if staff are confronted with daily obstacles created by form-over-function design. For workplaces to succeed, he argues, they must enable all occupants to do their jobs effectively – and that means embedding accessibility into the core of the brief, not treating it as an afterthought.
