Annex B - Housing for older people design standards

Warden’s accommodation

A self-contained General Needs dwelling should be provided.

Common room

• a heated, furnished common room or rooms (2m²/person) should be provided for use by tenants, together with a conveniently located, wheelchair accessible WC with washbasin. Suitable floor coverings, curtains, seating and tables should be provided
• an adjacent chair store (2m² minimum) should be provided
• an adjacent tea kitchen with a sink and hot water facility should be provided

Associated communal facilities

• laundry room – should be incorporated with at least one sink, washing machine and tumble dryer, also a table or bench for folding clothes
• guest room – should be provided, heated and furnished of double bedroom size and situated near a communal toilet or en suite facilities provided
• emergency alarm system – provided connecting each dwelling with the warden in case of emergency - a transfer facility should be incorporated for use when the warden is absent
• office – for the warden’s use should be provided close to the main entrance
• wheelchair accessible via heated and enclosed circulation where appropriate

Note: Communal facilities are optional for Category 1, and mandatory for Category 2.

Accessibility

Design standards in relation to accessibility for housing for older people (category 1 & category 2) are summarised in Table 7: Housing for older people (category 1 & category 2) - Accessibility Criteria

Inside the home

General design standards in relation to housing for older people (category 1 & category 2) door and corridor Widths are summarised in Table 8: Housing for older people (category 1 and 2) - General requirements

Supported Housing (Accessible Criteria) – the above criteria will normally suffice for this type of housing, but may need to take account of special space and facility requirements need by some tenants, including multi-wheelchair user environments.