Studio units universally designed

Is it true that universally designed dwellings need extra space? Designing accessible studio units dispels that myth. It’s how you design the space that makes the difference. It’s all about being creative.

A project by Studio Bright, has four units designed to accommodate Gold Livable Housing standards. Closing off the second living or study space creates a second bedroom for a visitor.

Artists impression of the four unit complex from the street showing treas and plantings and low set building with an angled roofline.

Each unit is designed to catch natural light and is set in thoughtful landscaping. The four car parking spaces are flexible areas for communal outdoor space. Fruit trees and other plantings help foster a sense of community. There are different ways to arrange the L-shaped units, which means this model is suitable for other sites. 

More examples

The 2022 edition of the National Construction Code mandates equivalent of Livable Housing Silver Level. At first it was assumed small studio units couldn’t meet this standard and should be exempt. However, here are four floor plans to show how to do it. In some respects it’s easier to meet the standard because there is no waste space with corridors an there are only two doors. Have a look at the examples below.

53 sqm 1 bed apartment floor pan
53 sqm 1 bed apartment floor pan
50 m studio floor plan
50 m studio floor plan
50 m 1 bed floor plan
50 m 1 bed floor plan
36.3 m studio unit floor plan
36.3 m studio floor plan

Although the equivalent of Livable Housing Silver level features are in the 2022 National Construction Code, not every state has adopted it into their respective codes.

A good example of how thinking outside the traditional models makes our homes better.

Ageing in Place: Not there yet

A suburban house in UK showing before and after the ramp. The ramp makes several zig-zags up the front of the house. It looks ugly.What home modifications are needed most and how much are they needed? Mary Ann Jackson analysed 50 home modification reports in Victoria to get an answer. She found that when it comes to ageing in place we are not there yet. 

The homes visited all had a doorsill or step at the front door and tight spaces. A screen door complicated matters, and meter boxes also intruded on entry space. Many of the fittings, such as taps and handles were poorly designed to suit ageing in place. 

Jackson advises that accessibility issues are endemic to Australia’s existing housing stock. This is a big problem when 39.5% of households include a person with disability. 

Architect and Planner Jackson says, “Cooperation, collaboration, and a clear recognition of the emotional, physical, and economic cost-benefit of ageing in place will be needed to rebuild Australia’s housing stock to better accommodate all inhabitants throughout life.” The title of the newsletter article is Ageing in place – are we there yet?  

The picture above is famous for its technical compliance, but not usability, and definitely not aesthetics.

Older people and perception of home

Within the findings of an AHURI report is a section on the qualitative research on older people and the perceptions of their homes in terms of ageing in place. The report is titled, “The role of home maintenance and modification services in achieving health community care and housing outcomes in later life”, and is by Andrew Jones, Desleigh de Jonge and Rhonda Phillips for the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute, 2008. 

A man in a bright yellow T shirt is painting and archway in a wall inside a home. The wall is grey and there are tools on the floor.Phillippa Carnemolla’s conference paper expands on some of these ideas for ageing well at home. She found that home modifications address both social and individual needs. The title of the paper is,  The potential of a home modification strategy – a universal design approach to existing housing

 

Flexible housing offsets risk

Picture of a tall long skinny house with white lattice covering. It fits into a driveway.The current standard design ideas for homes goes back more than a century. It’s time for a rethink on home design to suit the way we live our lives now is the claim in an article by Kirsty Voltz in The Conversation.

Home designs are not keeping up with societal changes that include affordability, size of homes, accessibility across the lifespan, and designing so that as lives change, the interior of the home can adapt to suit.

The risks are in not recognising the need to change and adapt to current circumstances, lifestyles, societal changes and personal aspirations. The article contains links to other references and concludes, “Existing housing stock is designed around the numbers of bedrooms and bathrooms that appeal to the market and so fails to be responsive to what people need from housing in the 21st century.”

The picture is of the 3 bedroom home that Kirsty Voltz designed to fit in the space of an obsolete driveway.

Making universal design a reality – confronting affordability

Head and shoulders pic of Kay Saville-Smith. Making Universal Design a reality: confronting affordability.
Kay Saville-Smith

Edited transcript from live captioning of Kay Saville-Smith’s keynote presentation at the Australian Universal Design Conference 2014. Titled: Making universal design a reality – confronting affordability.

Synopsis: The Christchurch earthquakes which flattened much of the city provided an opportunity to start from scratch and implement some of the good design ideas, including universal design, that have been around for some time.  However, this UD-logo-200x200has not happened and there are many reasons for this, not least of which is the stance of the insurance industry.

The issue of affordability is a complex one. It is a market driven issue where the actual cost of the building is not the main issue. Universal design and affordability can co-exist. However, there are many attitudinal barriers and well-worn arguments touted in the industry that say it cannot be done.

Kay Saville-Smith Keynote Presentation transcipt in PDF or Transcript in Word

Kay Saville-Smith Keynote Slideshow PDF 3MB