As a certified LHA assessor, I specialise in designing properties for optimal access and mobility, with a specific person’s needs in mind.
More than four million Australians live with a disability, and yet typically, most buildings and infrastructure have not been designed to support their special needs.
This can make life incredibly challenging, lonely – and even dangerous – to navigate, whether a person is living with a lifelong disability, has a newly acquired injury, or is just starting to deal with mobility issues associated with aging.
Working to address this issue and create livable, accessible homes and facilities that cater to an individual’s needs – whether its starting from scratch with a new build, or creating thoughtful and practical modifications to an existing building – has become a passion of mine. So much so that last year, I became a Livable Housing Australia (LHA) assessor.
LHA is a partnership between community and consumer groups, government and industry, which champions the mainstream adoption of livable housing design principles in all new homes built in Australia.
The nationally agreed Livable Housing Design Guidelines provide technical advice and guidance on the key easy living features that make a home easier and safer to live in for people of all ages and abilities.
Through adopting the Livable Housing Design Guidelines, dwellings are: 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 the people who live in the home.
As a LHA Registered Assessor, I conduct assessments of dwelling design features against the Elements described in the Livable Housing Design Guidelines to ensure the dwelling will be accredited and able to use the LHA Quality Mark. Each assessment involves a review of the design or construction of a dwelling against the elements in the Guidelines.
This ensures all my designs meet the LHA standards – which ensures they will be safe, practical and valuable to those who will be living in or using the property once that job is done.
As a registered architect, I’m also up-to-date with all architectural guidelines and legislation, to ensure all my designs comply with Australian Standard AS 1428.1-2001 design for access and mobility.
As I said, this is a real passion of mine and I would be happy to share more with you – please just drop me an enquiry, as I’d be happy to chat.