Government use: SDVOSB ©2002-2010 Access Development Corporation
access3d is a professional architectural corporation. It was created out of necessity to educate fellow professionals about the requirements of the "special needs" population. For access3d it has always been a holistic approach, we are acutely aware of individual needs, these needs are the drivers of function. Generationally "Adaptive Design", "Universal Design", has evolved into what access3d defines as "Sustainable Ergonomics", the term not only defines the process thoroughly, but it plugs easily into current paradigms.
Joe Del Vecchio, the founder of access3d, himself an individual that relies on a wheelchair, initially found it difficult to maintain a suitable pace that was appropriate for a good practice. He wanted to assimilate and to be considered an equal among his peers and clientele. At the time he thought that he should follow the rumor that computer technology could assist him. It worked and techno is now an accepted necessity to conduct a practice.
The journey was long but pleasant. access3d became a member of the UK Reflex Users Group. We crossed the pond many times to attend meetings and to take part in their annual convention. Interestingly, this lead to access3d understanding the virtue of "3d modeling", "BIM" (building information modeling) and "Integrated Construction Management". We were introduced to Sonata®, written in Fortran, a grand 3d modeling tool, but with the advent of c++ with its inheritance capabilities, BIM was born and Sonata® was rewritten into Reflex®, a early ancestor of Revit®. Taylor Woodrow construction, the first firm to adopt Reflex®, was contracted by the BAA, British airline authority, to expand their airport facilities at Gatwick. When the BAA experienced a project completed early and substantially under budget, the die had been cast. We thought the investment to be a wise one; we believed that its necessity in the workplace would soon be inevitable
access3d now prides itself as an early adopter of computer aided drawing and was present when "3d modeling" was introduced and one of the first to utilize "VRML" (virtual reality markup language), on the web. When we introduced developers to 3d modeling they immediately understood it. The convenience and inexpensive method of prototyping digitally caught on quickly. L.A. Pizza®, Country Tyme Chicken®, Spikes Junkyard Dogs® and Coffee Plus® were some of the beneficiaries of this service.
We are often asked why we have designed many restaurants, medical offices, and unique residences. Very easily, all are high intensity projects, hot beds of human activity with discerning clients, and a perfect climate to practice sustainable ergonomics. We find it motivating to be assigned a difficult task and being able to deliver.
