BATHROOM DESIGN

     Designing a bathroom is a task that seems to be simple but it actually not. There are so many details and guidelines needed to be considered for designing an accessible bathroom. Learning how wheel chair people use the toilet is important for designing a considerate and user-friendly bathroom. Usually wheel chair people prefer side reach rather than front reach and they need foot-toe clearance under the sink and cabinet. Besides, since bathroom is usually smaller than other room, the tile layouts of the space will become a vital element. It affects people' feeling of the space. I explored the bathroom design in my apartment and found out that my bathroom is not accessible at all because of the narrow doors and small moving space. I also learned that we need 30" space in front of a toilet and there is specific space between double sinks. We should design a bathroom that include a 60" turning radius that allows wheel chair to move through freely and comfortably. According to the information and guideline, I designed a slide door because I think it is better than any other kind of door for disabilities and also considered both side reach and front reach and turning radius. The wide of my door is 36" wide which is the ADA guideline for a accessible door. Moreover, I made the counter and sink lower than regular height to make it accessible while appealing and functional.
     My concept is driven from the clear edge and sharp angles of a triangles. I defined the three angles of a triangle as ourselves, family and home which reveals design relationship of the space. These three vital elements are expressed in the function of the bathroom design. The on-floor lower cabinet can be used as a stool for children while the other are designed for the elders. I intended to create a space that fulfill all kinds of need because it is a family and it is home. The bath tub I chose, the wall lighting, ceiling lighting and the pink recycled-glass doors of cabinets are all revealing triangle shapes. The color application is mainly neutral color because it suggests harmony through out the space.

Client Brief

Having a interview with the client help us understand his expectation and preference. It is great to ask the client some design issues face to face because we can realize what he needs better instead of sending e-mail. We figured out that he is very conscious about being sustainable and eco-friendly. He also wanted to preserve the site as much as possible. And because it is pricy to change the position of those plumbing, we will keep the bathroom and kitchen at the same position due to the budget.  I found bubble diagram and adjacency matrix help for finding the relationship between each room. Designers can discover which king of spaces should be near to each other while some spaces should be separated significantly.

Kitchen project

Kitchen

Concept Model

We got a chance to design for a hotel owner. The hotel owner want to convert the hotel into two-bedroom apartment and a one-bed room apartment. Therefore, we mainly worked on the kitchen for the two-bed room apartment first. It was really an interesting but complicated project since we need look up books to find the actual and recommended size of refrigerator, over, dishwasher, counter, entrance and dinning table. Each decision we make have to follow the rule and regulation of kitchen design. For the work triangle, I hope to make it more efficient and smooth so I placed cook top, double sink and fridge within a L shape. The dinning table I created is inspired by my concept model. I utilize triangle to form the table. For this project, the triangle shape represent three important sides in our life which are ourselves, family and home. I try to show the harmony and contrast through out the interior. The color I chose would mainly be black and white to show color contrast and also reflect the concept model. I tried to show the harmony by symmetrical balance in living room. There are some designs I can improved such as the function of cabinet. I think I should set some of the cabinets into drawers to add convenience and flexibility.

Accessibility Sketch Journal

View from the wheel chair. We found out that it was extremely difficult for wheel chair people to order a meal from this

View from the wheel chair

     The designed environment is not work well for people with special needs as we encountered lots of challenges during our experience. There is bottom for the side door to open automatically; however, the bottom didn't work and it is impossible for disabilities to get into the building. Also, the slope which links the elevator and Daggy 1A is super dangerous as I cannot control my wheel chair at all. Part of the reason for me to have less control over my wheel chair is because that there were some people who also wanted to pass through the door and they let me feel nervous. In addition, the elevator in Daggy Hall is not big enough to allow wheelchair users to turn around, they have to move in straightly and get out backward.
     I believe that designed environment should be accessible to everyone but we still need to take cost into consideration. If the cost is not allowed to make the environment fully accessible, I would suggest to make only the main floor and entrance fully accessible. The costs to our society if everyone isn't able to make a contribution because the designed environment isn't accessible is that we can't hear from disabilities. The society lost the chance to get varied contribution from all kinds of people.
    The automatic sliding door is a great technology that make the world more accessible to all people. Also, the automatic flush system, automatic faucet also contributed the accessible environment. The elevator also let the tall building become accessible to all people.