Livable Housing Design Guidelines Assessments
We can provide assessment and Livable Housing Australia (LHA) certification of plans and built homes to achieve silver, gold or platinum performance levels.
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What are Livable Housing (LHA) Assessments?
The Livable Housing Australia Design Guidelines are tailored for private homes and provide a set of design elements which can be included in new housing and existing homes through renovation. The guidelines have three different levels of Silver, Gold and Platinum. We provide assessment and Livable Housing Australia certification of plans and built homes which achieve Silver, Gold and Platinum performance levels.
There are fifteen key criteria assessed to determine the LHA performance level. To satisfy the silver performance level at least seven of the fifteen criteria must be satisfied. The criteria to satisfy silver performance level focuses on the key structural and spatial elements that are critical to ensure future flexibility and adaptability of the home.
The seven core design elements to achieve LHA Silver Level are:
- A safe continuous and step free path of travel from the street entrance and/or parking area to a dwelling entrance that is level.
- At least one, level (step-free) entrance into the dwelling.
- Internal doors and corridors that facilitate comfortable and unimpeded movement between spaces.
- A toilet on the ground (or entry) level that provides easy access.
- A bathroom that contains a hobless shower recess.
- Reinforced walls around the toilet, shower and bath to support the safe installation of grabrails at a later date.
- Stairways are designed to reduce the likelihood of injury and also enable future adaptation.
In order to satisfy the gold performance level, twelve of the fifteen criteria must be satisfied. LHA gold performance level focuses on more generous provisions for dimensions including more adaptability to rooms such as the kitchen and bedroom areas.
The twelve criteria required to satisfy the gold performance level include
- A safe continuous and step free path of travel from the street entrance and/or parking area to a dwelling entrance that is level.
- At least one, level (step-free) entrance into the dwelling.
- Internal doors and corridors that facilitate comfortable and unimpeded movement between spaces.
- A toilet on the ground (or entry) level that provides easy access.
- A bathroom that contains a hobless shower recess.
- Reinforced walls around the toilet, shower and bath to support the safe installation of grabrails at a later date.
- Stairways are designed to reduce the likelihood of injury and also enable future adaptation.
- The kitchen space is designed to support ease of movement between fixed benches and to support easy adaptation.
- The laundry space is designed to support ease of movement between fixed benches and to support easy adaptation.
- Ground (or entry level bedroom space) here is a space on the ground (or entry) level that can be used as a bedroom.
- Switches and Powerpoints Light switches and powerpoints are located at heights that are easy to reach for all home occupants.
- Home occupants are able to easily and independently open and close doors and safely use tap hardware.
In order to achieve the platinum LHA performance level all fifteen criteria must be satisfied. Platinum performance level is the highest LHA performance level and is generally required for higher mobility needs.
To achieve platinum performance level the following criteria must be satisfied:
- A safe continuous and step free path of travel from the street entrance and/or parking area to a dwelling entrance that is level.
- At least one, level (step-free) entrance into the dwelling.
- Internal doors and corridors that facilitate comfortable and unimpeded movement between spaces.
- A toilet on the ground (or entry) level that provides easy access.
- A bathroom that contains a hobless shower recess.
- Reinforced walls around the toilet, shower and bath to support the safe installation of grabrails at a later date.
- Stairways are designed to reduce the likelihood of injury and also enable future adaptation.
- The kitchen space is designed to support ease of movement between fixed benches and to support easy adaptation.
- The laundry space is designed to support ease of movement between fixed benches and to support easy adaptation.
- Ground (or entry level bedroom space) here is a space on the ground (or entry) level that can be used as a bedroom.
- Switches and powerpoints are located at heights that are easy to reach for all home occupants.
- Home occupants are able to easily and independently open and close doors and safely use tap hardware.
- The family/living room features clear space to enable the home occupant to move in and around the room with ease.
- Windows sills are installed at a height that enables home occupants to view the outdoor space from either a seated or standing position.
- Floor coverings are slip resistant to reduce the likelihood of slips, trips and falls in the home.
Why are livable Housing Australia Assessments important?
Inclusion of livable elements in a home increase the functionality and longevity of a home allowing for it to be usable for people in all stages of their life from young families to those aging in place. It also provides additional housing stock for people living within the community who have disabilities, mobility issues, elderly or have specific housing requirements. The inclusion of livable elements in a design are often of no or little additional construction cost if considered throughout the design phase and increases value by providing for living in the home over multiple stages in life and also increasing the potential market for a property when it comes time to sell.
Access for Life can provide advice and information on accessible elements that can be considered and included in your home renovations. Each project is individually tailored to suit your goals.
Our Process for LHA Assessments
1
Desktop Design Assessment
Access for life will conduct a desktop assessment of the design plans against the applicable performance level and provide markups to the plans where needed for compliance.
2
LHA Provisional Certification
Access for Life will conduct final assessment, lodge project with LHA and issue Provisional Design Certificate (one per dwelling). Valid for two years from date issued or until construction starts.
3
Framing Inspection
Access for Life will conduct an inspection during framing to identify potential issues of areas of non-compliance that may be difficult or impossible to rectify as construction progresses. It is the responsibility of the client to inform Access for Life when construction is at framing Stage. While all issues may not be identified this inspection can result in significant cost saving for rectification works
4
Post Construction Inspection
Access for life will conduct an inspection when construction is completed. Any non-compliance items will be identified and must be rectified
5
Final As-Built Certification
Access for Life will conduct a final assessment, lodge project with LHA, and issue a Final as-built Certificate (one per dwelling) and quality mark logo. Valid for seven years from the date issued
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