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Accessible Design

3 years ago

I desperately need help, I am trying to find an accessible design for a 3 bedroom, study, theatre, games room. I am getting so confused with all the plans I look at. Also in need of an amazing accessible bathroom. Thanks for any help. This disabled person greatly appreciates it.

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Comments (4)

oklouise
3 years ago
if you're planning to build a new home with features suitable for a disabled person it would be worthwhile to employ an architect to design something to first suit the block of land with best passive solar orientation and then include specific features to suit the disabled person..do you already have a block of land and which home plans have you been considering? most homes can be modified to be more comfortable for a variety of disabilities and building a new home should make that a lot easier but, most builders offering their own plans will only allow very basic alterations to their standard plans and i suggest that a well designed smaller home that suits the block of land, is more comfortable for the disabled person and their family and carers will be more cost effective than expecting an average home plan to include all the features you need without modification ..check info in Yourhome.gov for aged, disabled and passive solar design, ask your specific disabilities association and the Australian Institute of Architects for names of architects and designers specialising in Accessible design
Austere Hamlet
3 years ago
Just going by what you are wanting I'm imagining most homes in that size are going to be double story. Unless you have a very large block it will be difficult to fit it all on one level. Accessibility is different for various abilities. What is the major concern? Stairs, narrow passages, door ways which aren't flush or a bathroom large enough to accomodate a large item of mobility equipment?

Off the peg plans aren't going to work well for you if you have special needs as the entire design is based around the mobility options of the average person. HIgh cabinets, narrow passages, split levels, smallish bathrooms etc.

You really will need to employ a designer who can put something together with your mobility in mind.
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We're older than you and have just moved into what we hope will be our last house (no way we can go through another move!) So, resell isn't our issue, comfort and convenience are. First thing I would ask is, how do you actually live? You have a fairly modest house if I'm reading the figures correctly, so effective use of space is paramount. Do you need 3 bedrooms, or would 2 bedrooms be sufficient, with maybe a sofa bed somewhere? Do you entertain a lot, and need that living area, or would a smaller, open area plan with fewer walls really work better for you? Disclaimer: I've lived in a lot of houses with formal dining and living rooms and we didn't use them much. I'm now look at floor plans and open houses and think, yes, but is this how we live and is every room going to get used regularly? If not, a rethink is required, especially in compact spaces. The master bedroom/en suite/WIR seem a bit small. That's fine if you're planning on having the other bedrooms occupied a lot and the living area used regularly, but if that's not the way you live, I'd stretch the master and en suite, not to mention the walk in robe, dedicate one spare to the guests, and use the rest of the space for yourself. Nothing like a double shower, double vanity, and a big, big walk in robe. ( Our bedroom is 4.3 x 3.3 and, because of the doors and windows, we can't fit a dresser in. In retrospect, I should have had the builder slice 0.20 off our ensuite to give me 3.5, and I would have had room for the dresser.) I'm not trying to be critical here because I can see what kind of house you envisage. I'm just offering the wisdom, such as it is, of experience, of living in lots of different houses and finding that a house with generous bathrooms, a decent kitchen, and a nice open dining/living area can be a pretty good place to end up. Oh, and level floors throughout, and easy maneuvering for groceries and vacuum cleaners.
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Simon, 100% agree with OKlouise, she's on the right track..... I've done a stack of these types of things.....big projects, that call for professional solutions....what I would say as a start is that there are always various ways of achieving your needs. It's not just about the rooms, it about the quality of the spaces, the proportioning their connection/relationship to both the adjacent internal and external areas.....I'm guessing from the floor plan you have a lovely older home with some traditional character...depending upon your needs for the rear yard (pool??) I see opportunities here for alternative configurations that would open this thing up and let more natural/north light into the main living/kitchen areas.....if you want my 2 cents I think for a home of this scale no you shouldn't have to pop through the kitchen to get to the study...a study nook within a kitchen is OK but as a differentiated room that could potentially be used for other purpose (always good for the property value factor ;) )....its ALL in the planning, there's a lot of money involved here so make sure you get it right and if it doesn't "feel" right, then there's an issue.....clearly here you have priorities and vision for your study, and that's great, so make sure you get it right and that the outlook is how you want it to be - so it should, it's yours!.....but it's not a simple as just swapping the spaces around/over...floor plans are delicately balanced and carefully considered/arranged and when resolved properly/professionally they will just sit there and be unquestionably "right", appropriately scaled & proportioned, not awkward, representative of your specific requirements/priorities and balanced within the particular context....
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Philip it is hard to tell the difference between the two tiles, but the top one looks better due to more subtle pattern. If you darkened an IKEA timber vanity, how did you do it?
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Kate
3 years ago
Look at retirement villages for examples. They will usually have some accessible units. Architects that work in that sector may be your best bet. Good luck
dianesthename
2 years ago
last modified: 2 years ago
We recently redesigned our bathroom ourselves to make it more accessible for my elderly mother and wanted the bathroom to look more appealing and designer, rather than making it feel cold and hospital-like. Having looked around at all the local shops (bunnings, reece, tradelink) for these products, we did our own research online and found designsforlife.com.au and their ranges of access and mobility looked stunning! We installed the hampton grab rails on our bathroom wall and in the shower as a shower rail. On the website, they have an accessory called the Quik-Grip, which is an attachment made for the grab rails that allows you to use with a hand shower. It's super convenient and easy to use. Comes highly recommended.

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