Livable Housing Australia (LHA), an advocate for the mainstream adoption of livable housing design principles in all new Australian homes, has launched a new app to guide the design and construction of homes.
This app provides guidelines outlining simple design features that can be incorporated into any new or existing homes inexpensively so that the dwellings are more safe, comfortable and accessible for people of all ages and abilities.
According to the LHA, adopting these guidelines will enable homes to be “easier to enter, safer to move in and around, more capable of easy and cost-effective adaptation” and designed to better anticipate and respond to the changing needs and abilities of residents.
This includes ensuring a safe and continuous path of travel from the street entrance or parking area to a level dwelling entrance, at least one level (step-fre) entrance into the dwelling, and an easily-accessible toilet on the ground or entry level.
Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities and Carers Amanda Rishworth welcomed the app, saying it will make the design and construction process of accessible homes easier.
“The Federal Labor Government strongly believes that people with disability deserve the same opportunities as other Australians, and ensuring houses are accessible for everyone is an important step towards a more inclusive society,” says Rishworth.
Over 250 dwellings have achieved the Livable Housing design Quality Mark this year, and executive director of LHA Andrew Aitken predicts that this number will increase.
“We expect a massive market for livable design features in the future – so learning how to design and build livable homes now is a smart move.”
“This new app will ensure everyone in the industry – from architects and designers to builders and tradespeople – have easy access to guidelines that will help us make Australia’s homes more livable.”
To find out more, please visit www.livablehousingaustralia.org.au.
