About us
Enabling independence through design and technology
Information on design
At Housing 21 we ensure that in designing our housing schemes we facilitate independence and choice. Our design principles incorporate:
- progressive privacy - zones are created which are distinguished from each other by usage, design and the provision of physical barriers such as linking doors and pass keys for tenants
- integration of housing and resources - enabling communal and community areas to be available to the public so the scheme becomes a part of the community
- Progressive privacy allows for clear separation of semi-public areas where visitors are welcome to controlled areas where access is for residents and their guests through to fully private areas such as individual flats.
We build in community facilities reflecting commissioners' needs. This can include a restaurant with catering kitchen, hair salon and shop where appropriate, room for health practitioners and GPs, healthy living facilities and space for day care, meetings and advice sessions.
Using 'Secure by Design' principles we aim to prevent anti-social behaviour and crime by not creating dark spaces and ensuring good overall vision on the site. We also link our door entry systems to residents TV systems so that they can check and have complete control over who is allowed access to their home.
We offer design solutions for different cultures such as separate cooking spaces, rooms for group worship which can double up as meeting places and space within gardens for cultivation of specific herbs if appropriate.
Features that support people with sight difficulties and with orientation include front doors with contrasting frames, good overhead lighting and clear internal signage which meets RNIB guidelines including Braille and tactile. Corridors to resident areas have no more than six flats so avoiding long 'institutional corridors and marks are set at the end of rails to denote the end of a corridor, aiding mobility.
We build in facilities for the flexible delivery of care and support services building our flats for many uses such as long term housing, respite or intermediate care. We ensure that the layout of flats allows for adaptation when needs change. All individual flats have sufficient space to allow carers to provide support. We also provide a whole body suite in the communal area, which is available to residents and the local community.
