How the Foglia Residences Designed Independence: 8 Apartment Features Every Landlord Should Adopt

How the Foglia Residences Designed Independence: 8 Apartment Features Every Landlord Should Adopt

The Foglia Residences in Chicago — a nine‑story, 76‑unit affordable housing project that opened in fall 2024 — was designed specifically to serve people who are blind or have low vision. Rather than treating accessibility as an afterthought, Foglia used a set of deliberate design choices (tactile wayfinding, audible alerts, smart‑home integrations, intentional layouts and finishes) that give tenants real independence. This article turns that work into a practical playbook: a checklist landlords and multifamily owners can adopt in new builds or retrofits to better serve blind tenants while advancing universal design goals.

Why the Foglia model matters for landlords and owners

Foglia shows that accessibility can be integrated into everyday apartment living without sacrificing affordability or aesthetics. The building demonstrates how simple, repeatable interventions make units more functional for blind and low‑vision renters, reduce management touchpoints, and expand your tenant pool. Whether you manage a single property or a portfolio, the following eight features are high‑impact, scalable, and suitable for phased implementation.

Eight accessible apartment features landlords should adopt

1. Tactile wayfinding inside units and common areas

   What it is: Raised markers, textured flooring transitions, and consistent tactile cues that help residents orient themselves without sight.

   Actionable steps:

   • Install tactile markers at decision points: outside doors, at the top and bottom of stairs, and near shared features like mailrooms and laundry.
   • Use slip‑resistant tactile materials and durable adhesives approved for high‑traffic areas.
   • Standardize marker placement across your property so tenants learn patterns quickly.

   Retrofit tips: For tight budgets, start with removable tactile dots or textured stickers for thresholds and doorframes. For new builds, incorporate textured strips in flooring transitions during construction for a seamless look.

2. Audible alerts and non‑visual notification systems

   What it is: Systems that communicate key information through sound or speech — such as doorbells, emergency alarms, package notifications, and building announcements — with adjustable volume and tone.

   Actionable steps:

   • Provide smart doorbells or intercoms with voice prompts and integration with tenants' phones or smart speakers.
   • Ensure fire and safety alarms include both loud auditory signals and verbal instructions where possible.
   • Offer options to customize alert volumes and tones to reduce alarm fatigue while maintaining safety.

   Retrofit tips: Add networked audible units in corridors and common rooms. Many wireless systems are easy to install and scalable.

3. Smart‑home accessibility and voice control

   What it is: Voice assistants, smart locks, thermostats, lights and appliances that can be controlled hands‑free.

   Actionable steps:

   • Install or allow smart speakers and voice assistants; preconfigure devices for essential commands (lights, locks, thermostat).
   • Choose smart locks that support voice activation or app control and provide physical key fallback.
   • Integrate smart thermostats with simple voice commands and clear tactile controls on the device itself.

   Budget note: Entry‑level smart devices are now affordable. For shared systems, prioritize device security and offer onboarding materials or in‑person setup sessions.

   For seasonal tech ideas, see our guide on Tech Upgrades for the Festive Season that covers smart speakers and lighting.

4. High‑contrast finishes and consistent visual cues

   What it is: Design choices like contrasting door frames, textured cabinet pulls, and clear color contrasts between walls and trim that help people with low vision orient themselves more easily.

   Actionable steps:

   • Specify finishes with a strong contrast between doors, hardware and surrounding walls (e.g., dark frames on light walls).
   • Use tactile and color contrast together — a textured grab bar with a contrasting backplate, for example.
   • Create a finish schedule for the property so replacements stay consistent over time.

   Retrofit tips: Repainting door frames and swapping hardware are low‑cost, high‑impact interventions that maintenance teams can perform during turnover.

5. Accessible kitchen and bathroom controls with tactile labeling

   What it is: Appliances and fixtures with tactile indicators (raised notches, braille labels, or audio cues) for common functions such as stove dials, oven settings, sink hot/cold markers, and thermostat controls.

   Actionable steps:

   • Add tactile dots or braille labels to key appliance controls and cabinet edges.
   • Prefer digital appliances with voice feedback or app control when replacing equipment.
   • Install lever handles and single‑lever faucets that are easy to manipulate.

   Cost‑effective options: Removable tactile labels and bump dots are inexpensive and durable; include them in turnover kits for new tenants.

6. Clear, obstruction‑free circulation and intentional layouts

   What it is: Floorplans and interior layouts that reduce clutter and provide predictable paths from entry to primary rooms — a principle Foglia uses to make navigation simpler.

   Actionable steps:

   • Design entry zones with clear sightlines (and tactile cues) that lead to kitchens, bathrooms, and bedrooms.
   • Limit unnecessary built‑in elements that create obstacles in narrow corridors.
   • In units, provide a simple default furniture layout that maintains a clear travel path.

   Retrofit tips: During unit turnovers, adopt a standard minimal‑furniture placement that preserves circulation for new tenants with vision impairment.

7. Wayfinding information and orientation packets

   What it is: Preloaded audio or large‑print orientation guides, tactile maps of the unit and building, and personalized walkthroughs that help new tenants learn their space.

   Actionable steps:

   • Create an orientation packet in multiple formats: audio files, braille (if needed), and easy‑read large‑print documents.
   • Offer a one‑time in‑person or virtual orientation demonstrating key cues: where tactile markers are, how to use smart devices, and safety exits.
   • Include emergency procedures in audio and text formats and update them annually.

   Tenant experience: Orientation reduces maintenance calls and leases a better relationship between management and blind tenants.

8. Affordable, phased retrofits and prioritization checklist

   What it is: A pragmatic retrofit approach that sequences work so owners can spread costs while delivering immediate benefits.

   Actionable steps:

   1. Phase 1 (Immediate, low cost): Install tactile dots at doors and thresholds, add removable tactile labels, provide smart speakers at move‑in.
   2. Phase 2 (Moderate cost): Replace hardware with contrasting finishes, add voice‑enabled locks and thermostats, install audible building alerts.
   3. Phase 3 (Capital work): Redesign flooring transitions, update layouts at turnover, install built‑in tactile wayfinding in hallways.

   Financing tip: For larger projects, review options in our guide on Financing Home Improvements to evaluate professional hires vs. DIY for retrofits.

Implementation roadmap: From pilot to property‑wide roll out

Follow a simple rollout to manage cost and risk while collecting feedback:

1. Choose a pilot building or cluster of units and implement Phases 1 and 2.
2. Work with local blind and low‑vision advocacy groups to test interventions and get direct tenant feedback.
3. Measure outcomes: fewer maintenance requests, higher lease renewals, and positive tenant satisfaction scores.
4. Refine standards and create a property‑wide accessibility package to include in future turnovers and new builds.

Maintenance, training and tenant on‑boarding

An accessible unit remains accessible only if it is maintained and residents know how to use features:

• Include tactile labels, smart‑device login info and audio orientation files in move‑in materials.
• Train maintenance staff on where tactile markers are installed and how to replace them correctly.
• Schedule annual checks for audible alarms, smart locks, and speakers to ensure firmware and batteries are up to date.

Legal, design and tenant considerations

While many of the Foglia features are good practice, always check local building codes and consult accessibility standards when planning major alterations. Engage tenants early: accessible updates are most effective when designed with end users, not only for them. Offering options and clear consent for smart‑home devices and data privacy builds trust.

Further resources and related reading

Want to improve tenant experience beyond accessibility? Look at articles on making small spaces comfortable and creating better community amenities. Our guides include practical home office layouts and community space design ideas that complement accessible housing efforts:

• Essential Tips for Decorating Small Rental Spaces
• The Future of Apartment Living: How Community Spaces Can Enhance Rental Experience
• Creating a Functional Home Office in Your Apartment: Space‑Saving Tips

Conclusion

Foglia Residences proves that accessible design need not be exotic or prohibitively expensive. By adopting tactile wayfinding, audible alerts, smart‑home accessibility, thoughtful finishes and clear layout strategies, landlords can expand housing options for blind and low‑vision tenants while improving usability for everyone. Use the eight‑point checklist and phased roadmap above as a starting playbook — execute a pilot, work with tenants, and scale what works. Accessibility is a long‑term investment in equity, tenant satisfaction, and the durability of your property.