I am aware of the DDA and now building regs part M. I can't say I know every clause - do they mandate a minimum sill height somewhere? I've not come across that.
Lifetime Homes is a good standard to work to in regard to wheelchair access. Most housing associations insist on it now (it's in their interest after all and they're subject to DDA regs) but developers aren't interested for the most part. It means wider corridors, bigger doors, stairs designed for chairlifts, space for through floor lifts, doors have to open in a way that wheelchair users can use them easily etc. Part M is full of 'make reasonable provision' clauses and really only worries about access and toilet facilities. DDA isn't applicable to private housing, even bungalow designs, which are bascially ideal for wheelchair users, don't have to bother with much in the way of access design.
I just designed a number of new bungalows and they're all as good as I can make them for wheelchair use but in this case Planning have said that they don't want the large windows as it's not 'in keeping'.
If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
Most architects I know (and I know a lot of architects) will always try to get floor to ceiling glazing in to a house or flat..
And quite possibly do so irrespective of the wishes of the client. There are many good architects but there are also many who are much more interested in enforcing their views of what is the 'right thing', than in producing a practical living space. You only have to look at programmes like Grand Designs to see that.
It's not just wheelchairs users that have problems. My OH could be described as vertically challenged (4ft 10") She often moans that things are often designed, or more often, built by giants, & they put many things out of reach.
On another note in entirely why have the milk producers taken to welding the little plastic & foil seals on? I used to be able to peel them off without issue now they all tear because they are stuck down so tight & they don't pour properly because there is a ragged rim stuck to the top so hard you have to use a knife to strip it off.
Most architects I know (and I know a lot of architects) will always try to get floor to ceiling glazing in to a house or flat..
And quite possibly do so irrespective of the wishes of the client. There are many good architects but there are also many who are much more interested in enforcing their views of what is the 'right thing', than in producing a practical living space. You only have to look at programmes like Grand Designs to see that.
Oh there are so many things wrong with the way Grand Designs presents architects, architecture and building design generally, I wouldn't take it as any sort of guide to the majority. Nor, come to that, is the RIBA, which is rather sad. There are very many architects who do a really good job of balancing all the different (frequently opposing) regulations, requirements and preferences. They tend not to be the ones on TV.
Lifetime Homes is a good standard to work to in regard to wheelchair access. Most housing associations insist on it now (it's in their interest after all and they're subject to DDA regs) but developers aren't interested for the most part.
At least, not since the Government binned Code for Sustainable Homes. That did give SOME financial incentive to using it.
Gardening on the edge of Exmoor, in Devon
“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”
I liked CSH. The paperwork was a pain and some of the requirements were a bit silly but the principal resulted in better housing. Developers claimed it killed profits but you don't find £70m bonuses from nowhere.
Architects on TV tend to be the ones with the ego that results in them telling the clients what they want rather than the other way around. The buildings look fancy but there's a reason why the clients always seem to end up in dispute with the designers.
If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
I must say we had a huge amount of input on our new flat as standard they all came with wide doors, wet rooms, level access everywhere even the lifts are large enough to get an ambulance crew and bed in.
We chose the room layouts and sizes of wet rooms, bedrooms, snug, office, studio, utility room, kitchen and dinning room and lounge.
I guess that's the beauty of modern builds you get a concrete shell and can do what you want we even chose where the front door would be they gave us a line on the plans and said you can have it anywhere from here to here.
So we have a home that works and flows around us mostly open plan and minimalist
"You don't stop gardening because you get old, you get old because you stop gardening." - The Hampshire Hog
Sounds lovely @Hampshire_Hog . It never amazes me that elderly-ish couples on Escape to the Country are always looking for houses in the middle of nowhere with lots of land - do they never think about how far it is to carry the shopping in, or how far away they are from doctors etc!
'Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement' - Helen Keller
I find most of the disputes on GD are caused by clients changing their flippin' minds every 5 minutes.
The edition which sticks in my mind is the one where the couple lived on a Welsh hill farm. They wanted to be as eco-friendly as possible and ended up with an architect who took that as having free rein to use any and every eco-option, irrespective of its suitability or ability to complete the build within their budget. She specified some kind of lime concrete and refused to change it despite the fact that it would potentially take months to dry and was nowhere near as strong as conventional concrete. It was clear that her only interest was in using these customers as a test bed for her ideas. The architect went off in the huff when they dared to question some of her materials.
I accept that not all architects are bad, but certainly the big names seem to have egos to match.
Posts
On another note in entirely why have the milk producers taken to welding the little plastic & foil seals on? I used to be able to peel them off without issue now they all tear because they are stuck down so tight & they don't pour properly because there is a ragged rim stuck to the top so hard you have to use a knife to strip it off.
At least, not since the Government binned Code for Sustainable Homes. That did give SOME financial incentive to using it.
“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”
We chose the room layouts and sizes of wet rooms, bedrooms, snug, office, studio, utility room, kitchen and dinning room and lounge.
I guess that's the beauty of modern builds you get a concrete shell and can do what you want we even chose where the front door would be they gave us a line on the plans and said you can have it anywhere from here to here.
So we have a home that works and flows around us mostly open plan and minimalist
"You don't stop gardening because you get old, you get old because you stop gardening." - The Hampshire Hog