Ideum, an experiential designer of interactive exhibits, was recently recognised with the
Diversity Champion of the Year award for its work on the Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) Visitor Center in the greater Albuquerque area of New Mexico, US, which opened to the public in September 2022.
The Visitor Center’s creative team was honoured with the Justice, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Access (JEDIA) – Diversity Champion of the Year (Group Award) for their efforts in creating a place that welcomes everyone and fosters community.
Inclusive, educational exhibits
A former dairy farm, the Valle de Oro NWR is managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and is tucked between the Rio Grande and the historic U.S. Route 85. The land was acquired and protected through a grassroots movement with the goal of regenerating a native, natural landscape that includes a variety of habitat zones.
While the restoration process is ongoing, the Visitor Centre was designed as a location to inform the public and local community and bring individuals together to work towards shared objectives.
Ideum joined the Visitor Centre team in 2019 to design and construct educational exhibits across a wide range of digital and physical mediums, including custom fabrication, experience design, software programming and signage. The firm, which is headquartered in neighbouring Corrales, New Mexico is an expert in and proponent of inclusive design. Ideum assisted in organising community workshops both locally and remotely to ensure that the project reflected the diverse viewpoints of its stakeholders.
“The Valle de Oro project gave us the opportunity to not just to help tell a community’s story, but to use radically inclusive principles to invite others into the story and into the community,” says Jim Spadaccini, the creative director and founder of Ideum.
“Ideum was founded with the vision of bringing people together by allying technology with the traditional tools and values of community-building, which made this project a perfect fit. And it’s particularly special to us because the new center is right where we live, work, and play. We’re honored and grateful to be part of the Valle de Oro team and partners recognized for this community achievement.”
According to the USFWS award announcement: “From language accessibility (Spanish, English and Tiwa), physical ABA accessibility, considerations for blind and low vision, and support for deaf and hard of hearing visitors, accessibility is integral to the fabric of the building.”
In order to meet or exceed ADA requirements, interactive elements at the visitor centre include a layer of audio accessibility, enabling blind or low-vision visitors to be engaged in the experience as well. In consideration of guests with neurodivergent needs, this is delivered through devices to keep the centre’s ambient noise low. Several different community and advocacy groups contributed to the process, helping to design and refine an experience that is enriching for all guests.
Last year, Ideum shared more insights about its design process and goals for this project.
