Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1533577
houses in the neighborhood. We were lucky to find one with stairs and a back room, and the owners bravely allowed us to widen doorways and break open walls to create an open floor plan, as well as convert the family room into Melody's bedroom. I designed Melody's bedroom downstairs with accessible built-in closets, desks and tables that extend above her chair so she could do her own makeup and work by the window. Once again, it was important at every opportunity to show how much Melody could do independently, how her parents were encouraging and supporting her to be self-sufficient. One important thing I've learned working as a designer is to manage expectations and be honest throughout the process. I love saying 'yes' to the creative team, however, I need to have done my research and know all the practical information before I commit to a design, so I'm not misrepresenting the end result and setting unrealistic expectations. For example, when it came time to open walls to connect the visual spaces between rooms, I presented to the group (DP, producer and director) how large we believed we could make the openings in the walls. We brought in construction coordinator Marc Kuitenbrouwer and an architectural engineer consultant to see how far we could push the concept. Of course, the creative team wanted as big an opening as possible, however, for the safety and integrity of the house, we had to find a practical compromise. In the end, we were able to come up with a cinematic solution, where the DP (Noah Rosenthal) and director could film scenes that were being played in several rooms simultaneously. In one important scene, Melody's mother is in the kitchen keeping an eye on her, trying hard not to intervene even though she really wants to. When the shoot was wrapped, we were able to reconvert and restore the home, a happy conclusion for the trusting homeowners. Ramps Are Bridges When you begin to explore the theme of accessibility, you're immediately reminded of the essential importance of ramps. Ramps are the bridges that connect different worlds, without them, for the wheelchair-bound, you might as well have moats around buildings and spaces. E. MELODY'S FIRST- FLOOR BEDROOM WITH ACCESSIBLE DESK AND CLOSET. SET PHOTO. F. RAMP BUILT FOR THE SPECIAL ED TRAILER CLASSROOM. SET PHOTO. G. RAMP BUILT FOR THE BROOKS' HOME EXTERIOR. SET PHOTO. E F G