“Architecture & Access handled our home modification from design to construction. The changes to the house look great and make daily life so much easier.”
www.homemodvic.com.au
What is home modification?
Home modification involves design and construction to assist people with a disability to live more independently and undertake activities of daily living such as showering, cooking and leisure. Home modification may involve:
- Access from car to home entry and internal access pathways –
stepless thresholds, pathways, ramps, railings, landings, circulation spaces, and doorway widening - Kitchen facilities – accessible appliances, tap ware, sinks, accessible bench and storage
- Bedroom design – circulation space, accessible furniture and storage
- Bathroom, toilet and shower – stepless and accessible fittings, grab rails, vanities and storage
- Internal and external lighting design – sensor lights, location of switches and power
- Furnishing, flooring, doors and glazing
- Landscape design – external access paths, stepless thresholds, railings, car parking access and transfer
Think of us as your team of home modification specialists
Our team includes project managers, access consultants, occupational therapists, architects and designers. We provide expert advice and deliver solutions based on the individual needs and budget of the client and their family.
Contact us for a conversation about your needs.
Working closely with individuals, families and health professionals to ensure home modifications meet client needs
Every residential project – whether it is a bathroom or kitchen modification, ramp or lift installation, custom build or multi-use development – benefits from our specialist knowledge of universal design, construction, and assistive technology applied with a deep understanding of what people with disability need in their home
It is important to us that home modification meets individual requirements and we ensure this by consulting closely with you, your family, occupational therapist and carers.
We often work with insurance companies and manage the process where funding may be provided by a third party.
You can be confident in receiving exceptional value for money, excellent quality workmanship, functionality and aesthetics.
Taking care of the home modification process from start to finish
Our project manager can handle the entire process from initial consultation through to construction – including design documentation, planning permits, building process and compliance, and the completion of a high quality product on time and within budget.
To ensure quality work we take care of the construction of your home modification with an experienced builder from our panel.
A full Home Owners Warranty insurance is issued on all projects, and in the event any defects occur, they are promptly dealt with.
We can assist with:
- Consulting and recommending design modifications to suit immediate and future needs – including kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, entrance, indoor and outdoor living areas and landscape
- Livable Housing Design
- Bespoke new residences and architectural renovations
- Landscape design and interior design services
- Project management – managing the full process of home modification from initial consultation to construction.
Home modification for people with disability
Architecture & Access specialises in the design and delivery of home modifications for people with a disability.
One in five Australians has a disability. Of the 4 million people who have a disability, 84 per cent are affected by a physical condition or limitation that restricts everyday activities.
Physical disability remains the most commonly reported disability among people aged less than 65 years.
It is estimated that close to 3 million people, or 16 per cent, of the Australian population have one or more physically disabling conditions.
With the majority (94 per cent) of the people with disability living in private dwellings, 74 per cent of these living with other people, and 20 per cent alone* – home modification is critical for promoting independence and supporting the work of carers.
One in 12 children aged between 0-14 years has a disability, representing 317,900 children. Families who have a child with disability have specific needs for universally designed homes.
Physical disability is the second most prevalent disability amongst children accounting for 162,800 children or 4.2 per cent of all children.
Livable Housing Design
Architecture & Access has been a long-term proponent of livable housing design, an advocate of universal design and leader in the design and delivery of safe and accessible homes.
Livable housing is ideal for people with disability, young families, and older people wanting to remain in their homes as they age.
Architecture & Access staff are trained as registered independent consultants to evaluate the design and construction of homes in line with the Livable Housing Australia (LHA) Design Guidelines.
The nationally agreed Livable Housing Design Guidelines provide technical advice and guidance on key easy-living features that make a home functional and safe to live in for people of all ages and abilities by making it:
• Safer to move in and around
• More capable of easy and cost-effective adaptation
• Designed to better respond to the changing needs and abilities of the people who live in the home.
Achieving Silver, Gold or Platinum rating for livable housing involves an assessment at the design and built stages of the project by a registered LHA Assessor.
For home owners
Architecture & Access can design and deliver new homes and undertake home modifications in line with the principles of universal design and LHA design guidelines.
With an LHA rating, the home owner will know their home has been designed to consider the needs of everyone in the family.
Research undertaken in the United States estimates that there is a 60 per cent probability that a new house will be occupied by at least one person with disability over its lifetime (assumed to be 40 years). The probability increases to 91 per cent when you account for visits by friends and relatives who have a disability or who are elderly.
The Victorian Government has estimated the cost to the homeowner of including four livable housing design features in a new home is 22 times cheaper than retrofitting those features at a later date.
For architects, designers & developers
The LHA Design Guidelines also offer a great opportunity for builders, designers and architects to lead the way in the provision of housing which appeals to a broad spectrum of potential buyers – people starting a family, older people looking to remain in the home as they age, or those with a disability.
An LHA rating is also highly regarded by government and many councils.
Architecture & Access offers:
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For more information about Livable Housing Guidelines visit the LHA website.
Ageing in place
Architecture & Access supports the desire expressed by many older people to remain in their own home, maintaining connection to their community, family and services.
As people grow older, there is an increased tendency to develop conditions that cause disability. This strong relationship between age and disability is evident with 18 per cent of 45-54 year olds reporting a disability, 40 per cent of those aged 65-69 years reporting a disability, and 88 per cent of those aged 90 years and over.*
We offer a wealth of knowledge and experience to assist you with solutions to modify your home with a focus on safety, ease of daily functioning and aesthetics.
We utilise the principles of universal design to create beautiful and livable homes to be enjoyed by people of all ages and abilities.
*Source: 2009 Australian Bureau of Statistics survey on Disability, Ageing and Carers.
Contact us for a conversation about your needs.