The Byre, Tyne & Wear

Accessible Design Consultant Phil Newbold, Director of New Bold Design, has undertaken a special needs adaptation of a barn conversion within a Conservation Area. The project aimed to create a wheelchair accessible home, along with accommodation for a live-in carer. PERFORMANCE triple glazed timber windows and doors from 21° were chosen for the project.

Challenges

The poor quality of the original barn conversion with standard, hardwood, double-glazed windows and the location of the property in the Green Belt and a Conservation Area presented the design team with a number of major challenges in delivering a wheelchair accessible home including the accommodation required by the clients, their carer and visitors.

Adaptations

Adapting the building to the needs of a wheelchair user was achieved by the following measures:

• Addition of an accessible en-suite wetroom
• New resin-bound gravel and astroturf to the external surfaces providing continuous level wheelchair access throughout the site
• Creation of space for the client’s special equipment for exercise and massage
• Installation of a platform lift to provide wheelchair access to the first floor of the annexe
• Widening of all the internal doors and opening up the kitchen / dining / family room layout with a fully accessible kitchen and new utility room

Triple glazed timber windows & doors

The energy conservation measures of the project include new triple-glazed windows and external doors plus a new, gas-fired boiler. All lighting has been replaced with LED fittings. The EPC rating for the house is now Band C. 21°s PERFORMANCE triple glazed timber windows and doors were specified for the project.

Various measures were taken to ensure that the windows and doors enhanced the accessibility of the home. Window cill levels in the Kitchen and Utility Room have been lowered to provide views from a wheelchair over the garden and open fields beyond. All windows have handles in the bottom rail. All external door openings are a minimum of 900 mm wide and have a level threshold.