Equity of Experience: Rethinking Accessibility in Architecture with Suzanne Tate

Season 2 Ep 2 Summary Ruth Hunter is joined by Suzanne Tate, founder of Studio TO, an award-winning architecture practice with a passion for inclusive design and creating spaces that support human potential. Together they explore why accessibility should never be an afterthought, how discrimination has been designed into our buildings, and why the industry must move beyond tick-box compliance to focus on equity of experience, how a space feels to move through, arrive in, and belong in. Suzanne also shares insight from her role judging the Civic Trust Awards (including the Selwyn Goldsmith Award for Universal Design), including standout examples of inclusive architecture and a real-world case where “public” design still pushed wheelchair users to a lesser side entrance. Chapters 00:00 — Welcome + introduction to Suzanne Tate and Studio TO 01:12 — How Ruth and Suzanne met and why this conversation has been a long time coming 03:03 — Suzanne’s approach: architecture through psychology, wellbeing and human potential 05:20 — Why design education misses accessibility and how Suzanne learned through lived exposure 07:50 — Experiencing the built world differently: wheelchairs, blindness, autism and sensory needs 11:04 — Why awareness still isn’t widespread (architects, developers and homeowners) 12:01 — Designing for life: the questions private clients should be asked during renovations 12:59 — Beyond compliance: why “code-based” design doesn’t create inclusive experiences 16:29 — Civic Trust judging: what they assess beyond aesthetics and architecture trends 18:52 — A standout project: Southeast Dance in Brighton and why it’s a benchmark 21:18 — Why a brilliant project still might not win (and how high the bar is) 22:05 — The “how did this happen?” moment: a new public entrance with steps 24:39 — Side entrances and inequality: why equity of experience matters 25:33 — A major shift: designing for emotional experience, not just widths and regs 27:08 — Designing for children and what it teaches us about scale and perception 28:13 — Proving the model: Ruth and Suzanne’s first joint project and what it aims to show 29:52 — The language problem: why “accessible design” creates resistance and assumptions 31:20 — Reframing as humanity, wellbeing and intuitive support (not “ugly” adaptations) 33:11 — Invisible Creations and the power of normalising supportive features 35:55 — The commercial question: value, rent and demand (and why we need proof) 36:58 — Fundamentals developers can implement now without blowing budgets 39:03 — Suzanne’s magic wand: mindset shift before anything else changes 39:55 — Suzanne’s message: challenge yourself, every small change compounds 40:57 — Where to find Studio TO + how to connect with Suzanne Keywords Universal design, inclusive design, accessible housing, equity of experience, discrimination by design, Civic Trust Awards, Selwyn Goldsmith Award, Studio TO, architecture, interior architecture, sensory design, autism-friendly spaces, wellbeing in buildings, mobility, wheelchair access, level thresholds, wider doorways, corridor widths, prams and strollers, ageing population, design legacy, inclusive workplaces, Brighton Southeast Dance, side entrance accessibility, Invisible Creations, grab rails, supportive design features Contact details Suzanne Tate / Studio TO Instagram: studio_to_london LinkedIn: Suzanne Tate Website: www.studio-to.co.uk Thanks for listening to Accessible Housing Matters UK! If you’re inspired to learn more or want to explore working with me on creating accessible, inclusive, and beautiful properties, I’d love to hear from you. 👉 Visit www.veredusproperty.com 📩 Email me directly at [email protected] 🔗 Connect with me on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ruthhunter Together, we can make accessible housing the standard, not the exception. Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with someone who cares about inclusive living!