This project explores the ideas of universal design by producing a variety of spaces for a diverse population. Rather than painting disability with a broad brush, this project approaches ability as a continuum and attempts to create spaces where anyone can thrive. 

Located in the heart of the Santa Fe Arts District, this project aims to make possible a new gallery and studio space for a local nonprofit working with young adults with various disabilities. The project combines gallery, studio, offices, retail marketplace, and an event space while trying to maintain the human-scale pedestrian feel of the neighborhood. 

The mixed-use building establishes a series of layers that subtly divide public from private, light from dark, and guide program and way-finding needs. Pockets of outdoor space are designed into each experience and are available at every level varying from the public courtyard on the main street to the quiet light wells located at the heart of the building. The screened elevation provides visual continuity and layering, as well as mitigating the harsh western sun and providing passive cooling strategies.