want to leave, but most have no choice as
the house no longer suits their needs. I have
heard this complaint time and time again:
“We really don’t want to leave but we have no
choice; we can’t go up and down the stairs.”
What if someone was thinking smartly
during the design stage to overcome this?
A future-proof design would consider the
needs of an elderly inhabitant, knowing that
a single-fl oor dwelling is more appropriate.
It’s simple to fi x. One example is to
consider, during the initial design stage,
the installation of provisional plumbing
within the ground-fl oor walls. These could
be capped off , ready to be tapped into in
the future for a new kitchen or bathroom.
Consider having wider doorways on the
ground fl oor, especially in the bathroom, for
wheelchair access.
With housing aff ordability almost out of
reach of most young couples, homes that
allow parents to live downstairs while the
younger family lives upstairs could be the
perfect scenario. This can bring back an
opportunity for families and communities to
connect as they did in the past.
I reach out to all of you to consider design
adaptability and the size of your house-to-
land ratio — and please, bring back
the backyard!
Deakin House from
Grand Designs
Australia Series SixDeakin House from
Grand Designs
Australia Series Six