The Future of Building Is About People
Across the Nordic countries, we pride ourselves on social equality, welfare, and universal design. Yet, many of our buildings still exclude the very people who need them most. This gap is a quiet form of ableism, a systemic bias that occurs when our environments are designed around what is considered “normal,” rather than embracing the full range of human diversity.
When minimum building standards are treated as the goal instead of the starting point, accessibility becomes compliance, not inclusion.
Changing Places is about lifting our perspective. It’s about designing for dignity, safety, and true participation, and letting architecture embody social responsibility.
This is not about regulations alone. It’s about design quality and human value.
The Origin of Changing Places
The Changing Places concept began in the United Kingdom in 2006, created through collaboration between people with disabilities, families, healthcare professionals, and architects.
Its mission was simple but profound:
Everyone should be able to take part in everyday life without having to choose between dignity and practicality.
The UK government quickly recognized the importance of this initiative.
Today, there are over 2,700 Changing Places toilets installed across the UK in airports, cultural venues, shopping centres, universities, sports arenas, and roadside facilities.
The concept has since expanded to:
- Australia and New Zealand, where many public buildings are required to include Changing Places facilities
- Canada and the United States, where it is promoted as an international best practice in inclusive design
- Ireland, where it forms part of the national accessibility strategy
- and several EU countries, which reference Changing Places in accessibility guidance and national codes
The Nordic Paradox: High Welfare, Low Accessibility
The Nordic welfare states are built on equality and inclusion. We should be world leaders in accessible design. Yet, only a handful of Changing Places facilities currently exist across Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, and Iceland.
We have regulations that say buildings must be universally designed,
but not standards that ensure everyone can use them.
In short:
We have the values, but not the infrastructure.
Changing Places Nordic exists to change that. Our goal is to bring together architects, developers, and municipalities around one simple idea:
Nordic welfare should also be architecturally visible.
From Regulation to Real Function
Every Nordic country has a strong legislative framework, but all define minimum accessibility, not full inclusion:
| Country | Regulation | Common intention |
|---|---|---|
| 🇳🇴 Norway | Building Regulations (TEK17) | Universal design should ensure usability for all. |
| 🇸🇪 Sweden | Boverket Building Regulations (BBR) | Buildings must be accessible and usable by people with disabilities. |
| 🇩🇰 Denmark | Building Regulations (BR18) | Public buildings must be accessible to all. |
| 🇫🇮 Finland | National Building Code | New and altered buildings must be usable by people with reduced mobility and orientation capacity. |
| 🇮🇸 Iceland | Planning and Building Act | Accessibility is a legal principle for new buildings and public spaces. |
However, all of these are minimum standards. They define what is legal, not what is dignified.
A standard accessible toilet may meet the code, but it is unusable for many people who need extra space, a ceiling hoist, or an assistant. That’s where Changing Places bridges the gap between compliance and true usability.
Changing Places Inclusive Design in Practice
A Changing Places facility delivers what universal design promises, genuine usability for everyone.
Minimum requirements:
- At least 12 m² clear floor space (preferably 3 × 4 m)
- Ceiling hoist or mobile lifting system
- Height-adjustable adult-sized changing bench (min. 180 cm)
- Toilet with access from both sides
- Washbasin, wardrobe hooks, and emergency alarm
- Room for assistants
This is not a luxury, it’s functional quality. It turns inclusion from a statement into a spatial reality.
Why It Makes Professional Sense
Architectural Quality
Architecture is not only about form and function, it is about life quality and belonging. A Changing Places room gives a building social depth and human purpose.
Social Responsibility in Practice
Sustainability today means people first. In ESG and public procurement frameworks, social sustainability is a measurable performance area. A Changing Places facility is tangible proof of responsibility.
Economic and Operational Benefits
Designing inclusively from the start reduces future retrofitting, avoids user complaints, and increases satisfaction and usability for all.
Future-Proofing
An ageing population and growing awareness of accessibility mean the demand for inclusive buildings will only increase. A Changing Places facility ensures your project is ready for the future.
Take the Next Step, Build with Purpose
As architects, developers and policy makers, we do more than construct spaces we shape society.
When you include a Changing Places facility, you demonstrate that universal design is not a legal checkbox, but a professional ethos.
This is the next chapter of Nordic design heritage
From minimum to meaning.
From technical compliance to human function.
It’s time for the Nordic region to make its welfare visible in buildings that welcome everyone, with dignity and independence.
Fact What Is Ableism?
Ableism refers to discrimination or exclusion based on physical, cognitive, or sensory ability. It occurs when society, often unintentionally, is designed around an assumption of “normal” bodies and minds.
In the built environment, ableism shows up when:
- Buildings are designed for average users, not all users.
- Legal minimum standards are treated as “good enough.”
- Accessibility is seen as a special feature instead of a basic right.
The result is a world where some people can move freely, while others must constantly adapt to environments not made for them.
Universal design is the architectural response to ableism. it recognises human diversity as the starting point, not the exception.
True inclusion begins when we design spaces that fit people, not when people are forced to fit the spaces.
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