Barrier Free Residential Design

With the passage of the Amer. with Disabil. Act (ADA), nearly every aspect of architectural design comes under close scrutiny for barrier-free access. Here you'll get a full picture of barrier-free design, complete with sketches & examples, surveys & building checklists. It offers a gold mine of design options -- & answers virtually every question on identifying & removing residential barriers. For architects, interior designers, & builders who can use job-tested tips & techniques for designing safe, comfortable, attractive residences that comply with the ADA, as well as for home owners who must create access for the elderly or disabled.

This book for architects, interior designers, building managers, students, conference organisers looks at first principles to provide the user with the 'tools' to make their own decisions rather than a 'cookbook' approach. It is intended that designs and product information can be taken straight from the manual and inserted into ongoing projects. For the first time the book considers the needs of people with visual, hearing and mental disabilities, who make up the majority of disabled people in the population, alongside those of people with physical mobility disabilities. Practical low cost solutions to retro-fitting existing buildings are discussed, as well as the methods used to assess the suitability of an existing building, and assembling a project to improve access for disabled people. Specific products and designs are illustrated and discussed - with full working technical drawings, and full specification details. These will reduce considerably the research time needed to produce a cost-effective solution that will improve access for disabled people. A perspective of the standards and legislation dealing with access issues in the UK is compared with those in other countries, and the standards mentioned are compared with the realities of practical implementation carried out in 4 years of design in this area.

The Accessible Housing Design File emphasizes both universally usabel and marketable environments that have excellent resale value. It covers the full gamut of accessible design and construction options.

This practical implementation guide to the principles of universal design in residences shows how to integrate universal design features at modest or no additional cost. It evaluates accessibility features such as fixtures, hands-free communication and security systems and remote-control devices.