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.

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

Valhalla Housing Project

Partnership Approach

• Partnership key to resolving challenges and project success

• SDCC partnered with Clanmil Ireland and 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 and Cheshire Ireland provided the expertise for developing universally designed housing

Partnership Approach

• SDCC design team engaged with its Disability Advisory Consultative Panel

• Cheshire Ireland and 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