A life altering accident left our client with reduced mobility, resulting in the home they enjoyed no longer being suitable for the requirements of their changed life. But our client was determined to stay in their home because they knew that the serenity of the location would be a vital restorative element in their transition to this very different life. As a result the decision was quickly made to adapt the house to integrate accessibility as much as possible into the existing footprint.

The home had been purposefully designed over 3 part levels to enhance the experience of arriving at the dramatic view, but clearly this design feature was now a major obstacle. Because of spatial constraints, internal ramps were not an option, so the practical solution was the installation of 2 platform lifts to provide mobility between levels.

In the kitchen ‘knock to open’ features were added to the joinery, and new cooking appliances installed to enable use with limited hand grip, so that our client could still enjoy making a meal.

Handily, the bathroom already featured a walk-in shower, so conversion for accessibility was relatively straight forward with the introduction of grab rails and modifications to the existing vanity.

External connection and access to outdoor spaces was very important to our client, so we worked hard to design a new ramp that connected the deck both physically and aesthetically with the garden and patio areas. Clad in the same macrocarpa timber as the deck, it has silvered over time to blend seamlessly, and is an attractive addition that is used by both our client and able bodied visitors.