Abilities Center – Advanced Glazings Ltd.

📅 January 2024 | 📂 Case Studies, Community & Wellness | ⏱️ 5 min read

How Daylighting Reduces Sharp Contrasts That Can Be Disturbing to Individuals on the Autism Spectrum

In Whitby, Ontario, Canada, a local charity is changing the world for people with disabilities by creating opportunities through sports, arts, and life skills programming—and is acclaimed around the world for doing so.

Recognized as an International Center of Excellence for its fully accessible design and inclusive environment, Abilities Centre is a hub of activity, bustling with people of all ages and abilities 363 days a year.

100,000+

Annual Visitors to This Inclusive Health & Wellness Hub

The design of their facility—an impressive 125,000 square foot hub for health and wellness—was critical to fulfilling their mission to provide inclusive programs and services for more than 100,000 visitors annually. A core element of this design was daylight.

The Design Challenge: Inclusive Environment for All Abilities

The fieldhouse, which includes a 200m 6-lane indoor track, three full regulation basketball courts, a large lobby space with café and reception areas, fitness areas, games spaces and more, was designed by B+H Architects of Toronto.

⚠️ The Inclusive Daylighting Challenge

The challenge: Create a fully accessible, inclusive environment that serves people of all ages and abilities—including individuals on the autism spectrum and those with visual challenges.

The critical requirement: Eliminate sharp contrasts between light and dark that can be disturbing to individuals on the autism spectrum, while providing well-lit spaces for clients with visual challenges to safely use the facilities.

The scale: 125,000 sq ft fieldhouse with 200m track, three basketball courts, lobby, café, fitness areas—all requiring consistent, comfortable daylight.

✓ The Solution: Solera® for Even, Deep Light Penetration

The unique, curved façade is capped with Advanced Glazings Ltd.’s Solera® glass along the west and east sides of the fieldhouse, illuminating the interior with pure, natural daylight.

The Result: Controlled, usable light fills the expansive space with high-quality, diffused light that is glare-free, evenly-distributed, comfortable, and consistent throughout.

“The [Solera®] glazing system enables light to penetrate deeply and evenly, in addition to reducing the need for artificial lighting in the fieldhouse. This treatment reduces the sharp contrasts between light and dark that can be disturbing to individuals on the autism spectrum.”

— B+H Architects

The Impact: Energy, Safety, and Inclusion

Solera® light diffusing daylighting units bring controlled, usable light into Abilities Centre, filling the expansive space with high-quality, diffused light that is glare-free, evenly-distributed, comfortable, and consistent throughout.

“Natural light really brings a sense of energy to the facility. We’re a community hub that sees clients and visitors from many surrounding areas and of varying abilities. Some of our clients have visual challenges, so a well-lit space is critical for them to safely use our facilities.”

— David Callan, Director of Marketing and Brand Strategy, Abilities Centre

Three Key Benefits for Inclusive Environments

1. Reduces Sharp Contrasts: Eliminates disturbing light/dark contrasts for individuals on the autism spectrum

2. Ensures Safety: Well-lit spaces enable clients with visual challenges to safely use facilities

3. Brings Energy: Natural light creates a sense of energy and connection to the community hub

Designed with Human Comfort in Mind

“Daylight is inspiring. The connection between good health and daylight has been studied for decades, so Solera® was the perfect fit for Abilities Centre. Our founder invented Solera® with human comfort in mind—visual, acoustic, and thermal. Knowing that we’ve been able to help achieve this for Abilities Centre and their members makes us really proud.”

— Michelle Milburn, COO, Advanced Glazings Ltd.

Solera® insulated glass products are designed to deliver superior daylighted spaces and a wide range of thermal insulation from R2 to R25. Our product lines are engineered to be highly configurable, allowing control of light diffusion and transmittance, control of solar gain, thermal insulation, sound transmittance, aesthetics, safety, and more.

Our services include illumination, lighting and daylighting analysis, glare/contrast and thermal modelling.

The Takeaway: Inclusive Design Requires Thoughtful Daylighting

The Abilities Centre proves that inclusive design requires more than accessibility features—it requires thoughtful daylighting that serves people of all abilities.

The Abilities Centre Success Formula:

✓ **125,000 sq ft** health and wellness hub
✓ **100,000+ annual visitors** of all ages and abilities
✓ **International Center of Excellence** for fully accessible design
✓ **363 days a year** of activity and programming
✓ **200m 6-lane indoor track** + three full regulation basketball courts
✓ **Curved Façade:** Solera® glass along west and east sides
✓ **Deep, Even Light Penetration:** Reduces artificial lighting needs
✓ **Reduces Sharp Contrasts:** Critical for individuals on autism spectrum
✓ **Well-Lit Spaces:** Enables clients with visual challenges to safely use facilities
✓ **Glare-Free, Evenly-Distributed:** Comfortable and consistent throughout
✓ **Natural Light Energy:** Brings sense of energy to community hub
✓ **Human Comfort:** Visual, acoustic, and thermal comfort by design
✓ **B+H Architects:** Toronto-based design team

Design Inclusive Environments with Thoughtful Daylighting

Our daylighting experts can help you create spaces that serve people of all abilities—reducing sharp contrasts, ensuring safety, and bringing natural energy to your community hub.

Discuss Your Inclusive Design Project