Inclusive by design

Embracing everyone’s unique qualities to foster a sense of community

Architecture should be inclusive, accessible, and welcoming to all. It should enhance the lives of everyone who interacts with it. Renzo Piano - Architect

Design with people in mind

An inclusive workplace values individual differences and makes everyone feel welcome and accepted. Taking into account neurodiversity, cultural, generational and gender specificity, as well as physical abilities, fosters a diverse, equitable and respectful environment and, consequently, a more innovative, sensitive, and productive organisation.

Enabling a choice of workstyles by creating a variety of space typologies, from social gathering areas to resting zones, builds a welcoming environment that everyone feels a part of. Offering a choice of character and atmosphere to address different emotional and cognitive needs helps reduce stress and ensures comfort.

Our spaces strive to be harmonious, intuitive, dynamic, equitable, and accommodating, aligning with Our spaces 5 design fundamentals.

Harmonious

The design focuses on visual balance and comfort, incorporating elements that reduce sensory overload and stress. It creates a calm atmosphere, where the majority of people feel at ease. Consider:

Use natural light and spatial layout for optimal lighting conditions, a comfortable environments for all, contributing to wellbeing.

This includes ensuring natural light, reducing glare, and creating visually balanced spaces, as further described in Bright Spaces.

Support users with diverse sensory needs by tailoring lighting applications and quality of light to character and functionality of different areas.

Offer control over illumination levels, and harmonising lighting with surface finishes.

See Creating Atmospheres.

Promote a calming and focused atmosphere by prioritising neutral colours and accents with low saturation levels, in alignment with the Inspiring Colours section, which reduce visual distractions and overstimulation.

Use muted colours, avoid patterns and opt for low-visual-noise materials to create psychologically comfortable environments.

Minimise disruption and distractions by sufficiently separating active acoustically bright zones from spaces for focus and concentration.

Develop zoning in accordance with acoustic needs and use furniture layouts and typologies to provide acoustic buffers where needed.

Enclosed rooms should have sufficient acoustic insulation, absorption, and background noise levels.

Intuitive

The environment is easy to navigate and understand, preventing confusion and disorientation, regardless of the user’s experience, mobility, knowledge, language abilities, or current level of concentration.

Reduce stress and promote wayfinding by implementing logical and intuitive space layouts that prioritise human movement, as well as the appropriate corporate signage.

This includes clear and organic pathways, and logical circulation patterns. Discover more in Fit for Movement

Enhance clarity and reduce cognitive load and anxiety by designing the space with simplicity and authenticity in mind.

Use a consistent timeless design language based on a set of cohesive elements that generate familiarity, as outlined in Find the Essential, preventing disorientation and misperception.

Avoid busy patterns and complex or varied forms.

Ensure ample circulation space and generous layouts, avoiding overcrowding, that take into account all levels of mobility.

Consider spatial relationships, optimise visual access, and ensure psychological comfort by creating balanced and well-proportionate spaces, as further described in The Right Proportion.

Dynamic

The design is adaptable and responsive to the individual needs of users, allowing them to optimise their environment.

Flexibility

Design ergonomic, reconfigurable and modular environments that prioritise user choice and flexibility, aligned with Designed for Flexibility, while considering factors like optimal noise levels and lighting for all potential arrangements.

Enable users to choose, or customise and reconfigure these spaces according to their specific functional and sensory needs, accounting for neurodiversity, generational differences, and physical abilities.

User choice

Ensure the work environment offers the users a sense of control of the sensory stimuli, such as lighting, noise levels, thermal comfort, as well as levels of privacy, and choices of positioning and orientation, to account for individual needs and preferences.

This should help in meeting the needs of all individuals by offering a choice of working environment, promoting a feeling of safety and comfort. The topic is further addressed in Designed for People.

Equitable

The design is both practical and appealing to individuals with a wide range of preferences and abilities. It provides free circulation and access to all by creating spaces that comply with the Accessibility and Gender Inclusive Checklist.

To accommodate individuals with hyper-and hypo-sensitivities, incorporate recharge spaces with a restorative function, creating a calming atmosphere through natural finishes, controlled noise levels, and minimal sensory stimulation. Additionally provide alternatives with more actively stimulating environments.

The restorative properties of nature, outside views and interior plants play an important role in this type of spaces.

Prioritise individualised experiences by offering a diverse range of spaces with distinct character, emphasising inclusivity, cultural and neurodiversity considerations, allowing individuals to manage sensory challenges, and find comfort. Provide a versatile range of settings with options including lounge and conventional arrangements, high and low, creating distinct zones for various activity modes. Refer to Make Your Choice for additional information.

Ensure accessibility by implementing inclusive barrier-free design. In order to cater to individuals with diverse needs, comply with local regulations and ensure adherence to the Accessibility and Gender Inclusion check-list, unless more stringent local regulations apply.

Ensure the provision of appropriate gender-neutral spaces such as restrooms, changing rooms, and wellness spaces. Comply with local regulations and ensure adherence to the Accessibility and Gender Inclusion check-list, unless more stringent local regulations apply.

Accommodating

The design is inclusive and respectful of the local identity and promotes a sense of community and belonging among diverse individuals, generations, and cultures.

Create a welcoming experience by referencing the context in the design concept, being mindful of the local cultural preferences, differences and sensitivities.

Incorporate elements that are adapted from the surroundings, taking into consideration the principles outlined in Reinterpreting the Context.

Convey a sense of place by integrating local materials and infuse regional identity through referencing local crafts, ensuring a cohesive concept and a limited variety, to maintain visual balance as referenced in Introducing local materials.

Engage users by creating Communication Walls and Community Displays that encourage social exchange, engagement, communication of innovation and achievements in the workplace.

Focus on specifics of the work, community, and history, avoiding decorative applications and general statements or quotes, in alignment with Roche brand image and formal expression.

As part of the Workplace Strategy change management, engage users in design decisions at the different stages of the project to foster a sense of ownership and belonging.

Consider specificities of the local culture, as well as diversity in abilities, perception, and generational differences.

Key to Inclusive by design

Ensure everyone with diverse sensory experiences feels comfortable by creating a neutral and harmonious environment.
Provide psychological security and clarity through intuitive, logical layouts and well-proportioned circulation patterns.
Address all needs by designing ergonomic, flexible and reconfigurable spaces.
Provide free circulation and access by creating equitable spaces that comply with the Accessibility and Gender Inclusive Checklist.
Foster sense of belonging by encouraging social exchange, incorporating local contextual elements, and engaging the users in design decisions.