Re: Universal Design means UNIVERSAL design
From: Kristin Becker (kbeckerposterfrost.com)
Date: Mon, 30 Jun 2003 12:30:03 -0600 (MDT)
You can often sink dumpsters if top-loading is necessary.  Brings the level
of the dumpster down without shrinking the size.  You have to coordinate
with your trash company to be clear requirements for pick-up.


Kristin Becker (520-882-6310)
For further information about Poster Frost Associates
go to www.posterfrost.com
----- Original Message -----
From: "Sharon Villines" <sharon [at] sharonvillines.com>
To: <cohousing-l [at] cohousing.org>
Sent: Thursday, June 26, 2003 9:50 AM
Subject: Re: [C-L]_Universal Design means UNIVERSAL design


>
> On 6/26/2003 11:50 AM, "Fred H Olson" <fholson [at] cohousing.org> wrote:
>
> > As far as I know, there is no co-housing community that is designed
using
> > universal design as  defined above.  Anyone know of one?
>
> Our commonhouse is and most of the units are. Of 43 units we have several
> with interior stairs and/or exterior stairs, but over half are either
ground
> level (no threshold) or accessed by elevator elevator. Only three (?) have
> porch stairs but could be converted to ramps. All units have extra wide
> doors on bathrooms, big bathrooms, etc. All our light switches are low.
Good
> lighting (too much actually). All the curbs have cutouts. We have several
> handicapped parking spots as near to the building as possible.
>
> During construction some accessible options were messed up by the
contractor
> and have to be corrected. The path to the hot tub, for example, may be too
> steep for easy wheelchair access (I don't think it has been tested yet). A
> kiosk was placed on the entry with a ramp instead of by the stairs. Wheels
> can still get by but not as easily as designed.
>
> Acoustics is a problem, particularly for hearing impaired, but we are
> working on that.
>
> We have not solved the problem of dumpsters for those using wheels or for
> children. We did manage to get dumpsters that are 4 ft high instead of 5.
> The lids are still too heavy at that awkward height. You have to hold them
> up and swing a big bag of trash in. At 5'5", I started using smaller bags.
> The dumpsters with the side openings (very nice idea) were impossible to
> open after rust set in (about 2 weeks in humid DC).
>
> Sharon
> --
> Sharon Villines
> Takoma Village Cohousing, Washington DC
> http://www.takomavillage.org
>
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