Design Elements of the Liveable Home
Liveable homes are designed to provide the greatest benefit to occupants and visitors under most circumstances. The logic behind liveable home design is to reduce or avoid having to retrofit or renovate a home to improve accessibility at a later date should it be required. By thoughtfully designing a home at the outset, comfortable living is assured.
Ease of entry
The core design features of a liveable home include ease of entry. Entry from the street, parking or garage area should be safe, level, and step-free. It is important to have at least one step-free entryway into the home for ease and safety.
Easy to get around
Inside the house, well-placed corridors and doorways help facilitate easy movement between rooms. The width of doorways and corridors can have a huge impact on movability around the internal spaces of a home. Â Slightly wider doors and corridors can make it so much easier to get around with a stroller or pram, bring in the groceries, or move furniture.
Access to the toilet
Another core design feature of the liveable home is ready access to the toilet. At least one toilet should be located on the ground or entry-level floor so that it is able to be accessed by people with mobility issues. Having a clear space in front of the toilet is also important when toileting small children or for the elderly or people with mobility problems.
Showers
A liveable home will include a bathroom that has step-free shower access. This simple feature can mean a home remains a viable living arrangement when mobility is affected by injury or age.
Grab rails
You may not want to include grab rails in your home if you don’t have a current need for them. However, by adding reinforced walls to the toilet, shower, and bath you are creating a strong platform for the safe installation of grab rails should they be required in the future.
Keeping steps safe
By adding continuous handrails to at least one side of any stairs that are higher than one metre, you make the stairs more accessible for everyone to use and also increase the safety of use.
Kitchens
Kitchens with clear, wide space between benches allow for ease of movement and increases safety when using appliances.
With some design foresight, you can build a home that will remain liveable in most circumstances. What a great idea!
