During the design process, I talked with, and listened to the family in order to fully understand their needs and wishes in their inclusive family home. My lived everyday experience of having a daughter who is disabled, allowed me to ask the important questions of the family, and to collaboratively develop a design for a home which works specifically for them.

Converting their existing bungalow into spaces that worked supportively and inclusively for the family.

The clients saw the potential, and brought us in at an early stage. They had been living in third floor flat which was proving harder to manage in the everyday. The possibility of living on one floor was very reassuring, and led to long discussions about what they loved doing as a family, what they needed to support their daughter, and how they wanted to experience family life, enabling every member. I was in a strong position to facilitate these conversations and collaboratively to translate them into design, because of my own lived everyday family experiences.

Our design intention was to make the spaces inclusive, providing easy connections between living spaces. This enables their wheelchair using daughter to develop independence and allows her parents to observe this whilst standing back, and enjoying seeing her and her brother so easily able to go in and out of the house to the garden to play. 

We also designed good visual connections between many of the spaces, which is very important for a child with mobility support needs.The clients say that the difference it has made to how they live incisively is immeasurable. Being able to watch their children play outside, feeling part of this, whilst also seeing their growing independence is a delight.