Universal home design refers to a design of home that takes the need of different kinds of people into consideration. Any person can comfortable live in a home that has a universal design regardless of the person’s age, physical limitations, life status, lifestyle and daily routine. In other words, universal home designs satisfy the standard for handicapped, aged and toddler access from the entryway to the rooms, living rooms, kitchen and bathroom. It is eco-friendly and also creates space for occupants as well as their visitors to interact. If you are planning to build a home, it is advisable that you apply the principles of universal designs (UD). Here are the basic principles of UD.
Design that appeal to all users
When designing your home, you should ensure that all the entryways and spaces in the home can be utilized by everybody regardless of their physical limitations and age. No occupants or users of a well design home including disabled occupants should find it difficult to make use of any space in the home
User friendly fixtures and accessories
Home fixtures and accessories are meant for the use of the occupants of a home. The aim of installing these fixtures and accessories is defeated if the occupants of the home cannot use them or find it difficult to use them. This principle of UD demands that you install user-friendly fixtures and accessories. It also requires that information on how to use anything in the home is clearly conveyed using varieties of methods.
Being user-friendly also means that occupants of the house should not put much physical effort in order to use any thing in the house. They should not strain themselves or sweat before they use fixtures and accessories in the home.
Anticipating dangers
A good home design anticipates dangers arising from user’s mistakes or error. It eliminates the dangers when possible or protects the users from these dangers. For example, children and the aged are most often victims of bathroom falls. In a well designed home, this problem can be eliminated by flooring the bathroom with non slip materials.
Flexibility in use
We are not created in the same manner and so we do not have the same abilities. Some people are rightists while others are leftists. There should be flexibility in use in a well designed home otherwise some people may find it difficult to live in the house.
The above are some of the basic principles of universal home design that you should apply when designing your home.
