Universal Design: A Home For Everyone
We are thrilled to announce that our Westwood showhome has now been awarded a Lifemark® rating of 4. This is a significant achievement that underscores our commitment to creating homes that are not only environmentally friendly but also inclusive and accessible to all.
Lifemark® is a rating system that assesses how well a home or retirement village can suit the needs of its occupants and guests over a lifetime. A Lifemark® 4-Star rating means that the home has a high percentage of the design features that make it easy to live in and age in place, as well as the potential to be adapted further if required.
The concept of Universal Design is at the heart of our approach to home building. This design philosophy aims to create environments, products, and services that meet the needs of all people, resulting in a barrier-free environment.
Who Benefits From A Lifemark® Rated Home?
When we design our homes with Lifemark® certification in mind, we ensure they are safer and more accessible for more occupants and guests. This means our homes are designed to be usable by everyone, regardless of age, ability, or status in life.
Some of the Lifemark® features that the Westwood showhome has include:
- Wide and level pathways and entrances
- Doorways that are at least 860mm wide and have lever handles
- Light switches, power points, and tapware that are easy to reach and operate
- Bedrooms that can accommodate a queen-sized bed and have space for circulation and furniture
- Kitchen and laundry that have adequate bench space, storage, and appliances
- Bathrooms that have slip-resistant flooring, grab rails, and space for a shower seat and a wheelchair
- Contrasting colours and textures for better visibility and orientation
These features not only benefit people with disabilities or mobility issues, but also retirees who want to future-proof their home, young families who want to avoid trip hazards, pregnant women who need more space and comfort, and homeowners who want a more spacious and cosy home.
Universal Design Principles
Our homes adhere to the following Universal Design principles:
- Equitable Use: The design is useful and marketable to people with diverse abilities.
- Flexibility in Use: The design accommodates a wide range of individual preferences and abilities.
- Simple and Intuitive Use: Use of the design is easy to understand, regardless of the user’s experience, knowledge, language skills, or current concentration level.
- Perceptible Information: The design communicates necessary information effectively to the user, regardless of ambient conditions or the user’s sensory abilities.
- Tolerance for Error: The design minimises hazards and the adverse consequences of accidental or unintended actions.
- Low Physical Effort: The design can be used efficiently and comfortably and with a minimum of fatigue.
- Size and Space for Approach and Use: Appropriate size and space is provided for approach, reach, manipulation, and use regardless of the user’s body size, posture, or mobility.
By adhering to these principles, we ensure that our homes are not only beautiful and environmentally friendly, but also inclusive and accessible. The Westwood showhome is a shining example of this commitment. We invite you to come and experience the difference a Lifemark® rated home can make.
Get in touch with our team today to build your future proofed home.