12/14/2011aeg associates for the ltc discussion group presentation by albert e. graf, aia aeg...
TRANSCRIPT
AEG Associates for the LTC Discussion Group
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12/14/2011
Presentation by Albert E. Graf, AIAAEG Associates, Annapolis, MD
Building a Home Considering Universal Design
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Who am I and why am I here?
35 years as an architect focused on health care facilities: hospitals & ambulatory care facilities
I am featuring my own home as an example of a practical application of Universal Design principles
We chose to use many of these principles in designing our new home because my wife & I watched our parents age in their homes with physical disabilities and recognized the need to address this in our future aging
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What are the Principles of Universal Design?
Allow enough floor space to accommodate a stationary wheelchair and also enough room for a smooth U-turn: at least 1965 mm (78 inches) by 1525 mm (60 inches).
Include tables or counters that are a variety of heights to accommodate standing, seating, and a range of different tasks.
Provide shelves and a medicine cabinet that can be reached by persons seated in a wheel chair.
Make sure entry doors to rooms are at least 815 mm (32 inches) wide.
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Principles of Universal Design (cont’d)
Mount bathroom sinks no higher than 865 mm (34 inches) from the floor.
Install grab bars in the shower and beside the toilet.
Provide a full-length mirror that can be viewed by all people, including children.
Avoid shag carpets, uneven brick floors, and other floor surfaces that could pose slipping and tripping hazards.
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What does our house look like?
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How did we apply these principles?
Experience in hospital design gave me lots of knowledge of ADA standards
Key among our design principles was wide halls & doorways & as much open space as possible.
The next slide shows the first floor plan so you can get a sense of how it works…
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This is what the floor plan looks like. We’ll focus on the first floor, since the second floor is not accessible. We specifically chose a single level plan as opposed to an elevator.
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The house is post-and-beam construction
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Principles in action
We used Post & Beam because it would give us maximum flexibility in applying several key principles: It’s one of the best ways to get an open floor plan It provided enough floor space to accommodate a
wheelchair, both stationary and moving It allowed us to design the kitchen so that it was part of the
great room (main living space) and gave us room for wide aisles around the center work island.
Making sure there were wide room entries – or very few doorways.
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Kitchen & Great Room views
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Other aspects of the house that are accessible: the main hallway
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Master Bedroom Entrance
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Master Bathroom
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Master Shower
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Getting In & Out of the House
The rear deck is set up so that
it can be easily changed to a
wheelchair ramp –
and not disfigure the front
of the house.
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Front Access
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Front steps can easily accommodate a temporary or portable ramp.
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Closing Thoughts
Universal Design Principles are becoming more important as the world grays.
It is also important not to “let the tail wag the dog”, so be judicious in selecting those principals that will most likely be of future benefit to each individual.
This approach does two things: It saves money, particularly in the short term and provides decision making flexibility as we age and change.
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How to contact me
Albert E GrafAEG AssociatesPO Box 3324Annapolis, MD [email protected]
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