Cohousing-L Mailing List: Efficient design of units...

[Ormond Otvos (ormond]

Adding to the list of horrors: As one gets older,
one appreciates a bathroom very near the bedroom.
Stairs become a nightmare, as do small and poorly
designed appliances. Some jobs require certain
volumes to do them in.

It is cheap to include plumbing in walls for
possible bathrooms upstairs. 

Watch for commonwall vibrations transmission.
Noise is a big problem in social relations, and a
good partywall with full sound isolation,
especially bass frequencies, is worth its weight
in gold.

I would be very careful about designing out the
handicapped and elderly, since we are all on our
way there...

As a rental tool mechanic, I would be sure that
all plumbing has easy access large bore cleanouts,
and that all plumbing with valves and faucets is
accessible without drywall destruction. 

Upstairs plumbing requires moisture capture and
drains, and no cabinetry should be made of
particle or flake board. It destroys itself if it
gets even a teeny bit wet, as we found in a group
home for the retarded, who tend to be a bit damp
in the housekeeping details. As do we all...

Ormond, Berkeley
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