Monday, March 30, 2009

Updated Outline

Adapting Homes
EDDT 231 - Applied Research Outline


Project

How can an older home be adapted to be more handicap accessible and at what point does it become unfeasible?


Method

  1. Defining the situations when it would be preferred to modify an existing house

  2. Examine key areas that need modification for chosen case study house

  3. Compare case house to researched adaption challenges

  4. Discuss researched available solutions

  5. Theoretically apply solutions to case house

  6. Generalize findings for application purposes

  7. Make recommendations for similar cases



Special Problems

  1. At what point where modifying an existing home should be compromised for building a new house?

  2. How do different handicaps change the modifications that need to be done?


Also

  1. How can the principles of the American Fair Housing Act and Canadian FlexHousing be used to create better modification solutions?


Information Sources

Heylighen, A. (2008). Sustainable and inclusive design: a matter of knowledge?. Local Enviroment, 13(6), 531-540.

Imrie, R. (2004). Disability, Embodiment and the Meaning of the Home. Housing Studies, 19(5), 745-763

Renzi, J. (2008). Accessibility makes for a movable feast. Architectural Record, 196(7), 180-180.

Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation. (1999). FlexHousing: Homes that adapt to life’s changes. Ottawa.

Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation. (2000). FlexHousing: The professionals’s guide. Ottawa.

Alonso, Fernando. (2002). The benefits of building barrier-free: A contingent valuation of accessibility as an attribute of housing. European Journal of Housing Policy 2 , 1, 25-44.

Lansley, P., McCreadie, C., & Tinker, A. (2004). Can adapting the homes of older people and providing assistive technology pay its way?. Age and Ageing, 33, 571-576.

Friedman, A. (2002). The Adaptable House: Designing Homes for Change. McGraw-Hill Professional.

Saturday, March 28, 2009

Photographs

One way to describe accessible adaptions would be to access regular, normal homes.

One house that is defenately no less regular is my one house. I plan to use it as a case study for my paper.

I've taken some initial photos but I'm planning to do a more in depth photographic analysis soon.



This is the front entrance. It wouldn't be too difficult to build a ramp because there is some side walk space.


Right off the batt, there isn't enough room for someone in a wheelchair to even close the door.


The cabinet can be pulled out to make under the sink available, but I don't think it would make much of a difference since the bathroom already has space limitations.

Friday, March 27, 2009

Internet Info!

I would like to introduce to you "Skeptoid: Critical Annalysis of Pop Culture Phenomena". It mostly deals with pseudoscience but here are a couple of articles that might be applicaple to our topics:

How to Identify a "Good" Scientific Journal

Water: Alternative Fuel of the Future?

Scientists are Not Created Equal




I found this article on the Province website. It's not related to accessibility design but it is still funny to read.

Bad Taste Does Exist

Thursday, March 26, 2009

Update

Thank you guys for the awesome posts that I've gotten so far. They are really helpful.

Unfortunately, a certain comment on my last assignment suggested that FlexHousing wasn't a good idea. Therefore, I am reverting back to my original topic, but it is still pretty close to FlexHousing, so all those comments are still applicable!

My topic will be: "The Benefits and Disadvantages of Modifying an Existing Home to be more Accessible for People with Disabilities."

I will be uploading a new outline, followed by the abstract shortly.

Monday, March 2, 2009

Outline

Technical Report Outline
EDDT 231 - Assignment #1


Project

The need for FlexHousing in Canada

Method

1. What is FlexHousing?
2. What are its benefits?
3. Why will it benefit Canada?
4. How will it benefit Canada?

Special Problems

1. What prevents a person from designing a FlexHouse?
2. What prevents developers from building FlexHouses?
3. Why would someone not want to make a FlexHouse?
4. What needs to be taken to make it a more available option?

Also

1. How does FlexHousing contribute to accessibility for the disabled?

Information Sources
Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation. (1999). FlexHousing: Homes that adapt to life’s changes. Ottawa.

Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation. (2000). FlexHousing: The professionals’s guide. Ottawa.

Alonso, Fernando. (2002). The benefits of building barrier-free: A contingent valuation of accessibility as an attribute of housing. European Journal of Housing Policy 2 , 1, 25-44.

Lansley, P., McCreadie, C., & Tinker, A. (2004). Can adapting the homes of older people and providing assistive technology pay its way?. Age and Ageing, 33, 571-576.

Friedman, A. (2002). The Adaptable House: Designing Homes for Change. McGraw-Hill Professional.