Creating Inclusive Universally Designed Spaces Sharon OGrady MRIAI
- Slides: 13
Creating Inclusive Universally Designed Spaces Sharon O’Grady MRIAI Senior Executive Architect South Dublin County Council
Inclusive, Universally Designed Spaces • Disability Act 2005 defines Universal Design as: - the design and composition of an environment that can be accessed, understood and used by all people, regardless of their age, size or disability. • The environment is defined as: - public places in the built environment such as buildings, streets or spaces that the public have access to - products and services provided in those places - systems that are available including information and communications technology
Commitment to Universal Design • Senior Management South Dublin County Council (SDCC) fully committed to the principles of Universal Design • The Housing Social and Community Development and the Architectural Services embrace these principles • Examples of inclusive universally designed spaces: - Award winning Valhalla Housing Initiative, Clondalkin - Rua Red Arts Centre, Tallaght - Clondalkin Leisure Centre • Focus on how we developed the Valhalla Housing Project.
Valhalla Housing Development
Valhalla Housing Project Objectives To achieve best practice in: • Providing universally designed and lifetime homes. • Delivering high-quality design successfully integrating principles of sustainability and social integration • Providing a template for an integrated approach to universally designed housing within the broader community • Providing a pilot project within the county in the provision of sustainable/passive apartment dwellings • Building these homes with minimal impact on resources and energy during construction and in use during their lifetime • Optimising brownfield site and land in general as a valuable and finite resource.
Valhalla Housing Project Challenges • To create a living environment that supports people with physical disabilities to live independent and fulfilling lives in the community. • To create a secure place with all the pleasures of Home • To harness new technologies and access systems • To build these homes with minimal impact on resources and energy during construction and in use during their lifetime
Partnership Approach • Partnership key to resolving challenges and project success • SDCC partnered with Clanmil Ireland Cheshire Ireland to develop Valhalla • Clanmil Ireland - registered housing association and member of the Irish Council for Social Housing. • Cheshire Ireland provides a range of support services to people with both physical and neurological conditions in their homes, in residential centres, in supported accommodation and in stand alone respite facilities. • SDCC provided the site, design team and project management through the building process • Clanmil Ireland Cheshire Ireland provided the expertise for developing universally designed housing
Partnership Approach • SDCC design team engaged with its Disability Advisory Consultative Panel • Cheshire Ireland Clanmil provided SDCC design team with links to prospective tenants • Consulted with prospective tenants with disabilities and occupational therapists through out the process • Used Irish Wheelchair Association draft “Design Guidelines for Wheelchair Accessible Housing Units” • The Habinteg guidelines to ‘Lifetime Homes • The housing units are designed to the Department of Environment’s ‘Quality Housing for Sustainable Communities’ standards” • These standards have been modified to meet the accessibility needs of tenants.
An Inclusive Universally Designed Space • The building is level access throughout with both stairs and lift access to the first floor apartments and roof garden. • Automated doors at the building’s entrance. Front doors to the ground floor apartments are also automated. • Security is enhanced by large open office windows, video intercom, and secure automated gate to the parking area. • Apartments rooms are large and the layout is adaptable. • Kitchen worktops, sink and hob units are height adjustable. • Bathrooms are fully wheelchair accessible • Large ‘rocker’ type light switches, double sockets with safety switches to the outside (for ease of use by person with arthritis). • T-Bar and/or elliptical shaped door handles throughout.
Valhalla Housing Development
Tenant Involvement • Tenants very involved in managing the Valhalla Project • Annual meeting with tenants to keep service charges to a minimum. • Pre-tenancy ‘getting to know you’ training session includes a module for carers where relevant • Training provided by Clanmil Ireland in partnership with the design team and installation specialists. • Tenants involved in keeping landscaping and tree-planting in place. • Each apartment has a raised planting bed, where tenants growing vegetables and herbs • Commitment to successful ecological apartment living • Tenant meetings are aimed at improving the carbon footprint, monitoring energy consumption, food and waste generation
Positive Outcomes • Partnership approach is key to mainstreaming accessibility, inclusion and universal design principles in a sustainable model. • Interest in the project process, design and outcome by other Housing associations and Councils. • Overall Winner of the 2015 ICSH Allianz Community Housing Awards announced at ICSH biennial conference in September • Won the award for Housing for People with Disabilities. • Praised by judging panel as: “An exemplar architectural, social and sustainable design for the provision of housing for people with disabilities……”
Thank you
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