About Us
Honeycomb Access & Design is an Access Consulting firm deeply committed to creating inclusive spaces in the built environment, outdoor spaces, and events.
Specialising in guiding construction and event professionals to design beautiful, accessible, and compliant environments, we work closely with clients to find practical and elegant design solutions, ensuring that accessibility enhances rather than compromises beauty.
Our work transcends compliance, crafting spaces that enrich lives.
We engage in diverse projects covering educational institutions, transportation hubs, healthcare facilities, retail spaces, and residential and commercial developments. Events include music festivals, surf competitions, outdoor food markets, equine events, inclusive zipline events, outdoor theatre performances and more.
Honeycomb Access and Design upholds inclusion as a fundamental human right, advocating for equal and equitable access in our diverse community.
Meet Jenna
Jenna combines her background in architecture with a passion for disability inclusion. She has led large-scale projects worldwide, with a career highlight being significant work with a global technology company in Japan and South Korea.
Specialising in guiding home owners, builders, developers, designers and certifiers/surveyors to employ the Livable Housing Design Guidelines and Universal Design principles, Jenna is a registered architect, an accredited Access Consultant, an LHA and SDA assessor, and a registered LHA NCC Assessor.
As a Member of the Victorian Chapter of the Australian Institute of Architects’ Enabling Architecture Committee (VEAC) and a research partner at the University of Melbourne’s School of Design, Jenna contributes significantly to enhancing Australian accessibility standards.
One of Jenna’s proudest achievements is co-founding Flying Fox, a not-for-profit organisation that has connected over 1500 young people with and without a disability through adventures and getaways.
Jenna's leadership and dedication to the mission of Honeycomb Access & Design are pivotal in driving the firm's vision to ensure that every design celebrates and accommodates the needs of our diverse community.
“I founded Honeycomb Access & Design with a clear mission: to redefine accessibility beyond check-boxes. Inclusion is a fundamental human right, and our diverse community deserves equal and equitable access. The time for change is now.”
Meet the Team
Dennisse Bonanno
-
Dennisse is a young stroke survivor following a brain aneurysm in 2011. She is passionate about taking her acquired disability lived experiences to enhance the lives of others for the better.
Now in her 10th year working in the industry, she is a Senior Access Consultant and an Accredited member of the Access Consultants Association and has a Bachelor of Design (Architecture) and a Diploma of Access Consulting.
Her interest in the built environment has also seen her involved with groups such as Architects for Peace and the Stroke Association Victoria. As well as serving a term on the Disability Reference Group for the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Committee.
Dennisse has assisted in mentoring stroke survivors and their families, and has been a guest advisor in accessible design workshops at the schools of Architecture at Deakin University and the University of Melbourne. Dennisse is also part of Honeycomb’s Advisory Panel.
Nicole Karidis
-
Enthusiastic about universal design and inclusive architecture, Nicole is a qualified Access Consultant and accomplished Project Manager with diverse experience in the media, film, and arts industries.
She is also a freelance writer on all things accessibility, including writing about accessible restaurants, bars, stores, and experiences for the City of Melbourne’s ‘What’s On’ visitor guide.
Nicole’s passion lies in inclusive design in products, architecture, and the built environment being both beautiful and functional. Her interest in accessibility and inclusivity comes from her lived experience of disability and belief that things should be designed with accessibility and inclusivity in mind, rather than as an afterthought. Nicole is also part of Honeycomb’s Advisory Panel.
Dean Cohen OAM
-
Dean Cohen OAM is a passionate advocate for inclusion and community; combining leadership, advisory expertise, and academic research to drive positive change.
As the Founder of Flying Fox, he created an organisation dedicated to fostering connections between people with disability and the community through life-changing social experiences.
Dean is a PhD Candidate at Swinburne University of Technology, researching trust and collaboration in philanthropy. He advises numerous foundations, social enterprises, and charities, including serving as Director of All Things Equal, a social enterprise café providing meaningful employment opportunities for people with disability.