UNIVERSAL DESIGN
What’s in the name
Within Universal Design (UD) or designing for all, a home is designed human-centered. The quality of life and the actions of people become the focus. 7 design principles applied in the 4-LEAF CLOVER
UNIVERSAL DESIGN
THE 7 BASIC PRINCIPLES
1. Usable for everyone.
Spaces are sufficiently large and accessible to various residents of the module.
2. Flexible in use
Moveable walls and cabinets create more privacy, space or storage according to the needs of the resident.
3. Simple and intuitive
Switches and electronics can be controlled by sensors and home automation.
4. Understandable information
Fire alarms are both audible palpable and visible.
5. Margin for error
Induction cooktop that shuts off when there is no contact on cooktop for a long time.
6. Beperkte inspanning
Sensors automatically illuminate the walking route at night when someone gets out of bed.
7. Suitable dimensions and areas of use
Operation of faucets, cabinets, doors, etc. is provided for both large or small and/or seated or standing users.
DESIGN LEVELS
To support the field and make UD easier to apply in practice, 2 design levels were developed. Within the UD-Medior level, guidelines are given to the basic accessibility for everyone and within the UD-Pro level to comfortable living with care. Each design level also has its own EXPERT level where more specific (care) needs can be accommodated.
UD MEDIOR
In the basic residential module, UD-Medior (green), the focus was on making the module accessible to as many users as possible, taking into account the principles of Aging in Place.
UD PRO
Within UD-PRO (yellow), making the module livable for care users is paramount. Through a refinement of the UD-Medior level, the aim is to make living comfortable.
EXPERT
Within the EXPERT level (E), customization is central for example for blind, visually impaired, hearing impaired or people with other specific needs. Eg. A fire alarm gives a visual or vibrating signal in the module so that the hard of hearing or sighted people are also easily informed of this. The use of more contrasting colors to visualize door frames are also a possibility here. The expert level is applicable to UD-MEDIOR and UD-PRO.
