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the universal house
a movement: to deliver fully universal, wheel friendly, flexible functional homes
“CAN’T GET THERE, CAN’T GET IN, CAN’T GET IT -
NEGOTIATING THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT
... For many people with disabilities the built environment acts as a powerful
barrier to their full inclusion
in the community. It affects their day-to-day functioning in ways few others can appreciate.
... More than 27 per cent of
respondents said that lack of access to the environment acts as a barrier to
their full participation in the life of the community.”
(Shut Out Report, 2009: page 42)
“It is clear that adequate housing for people with mental illness remains a major
gap in the community-based
care currently available. The effects are evident among a variety of groups: those with mental illness who are being
held in hospitals because there is nowhere else for them to go; those who have no housing options and are homeless;
and those that are surviving in less than therapeutic accommodation environments.”
(Toward Recovery: Mental Health Services in Australia, 2008: page 113)
“Previous tenants punched small holes all over the walls in a bid to cool rooms that climb over 50°C most of the year.
The holes let in flies and insects in summer, and, in winter, ensure it’s as cold inside as it is out.
Their toilet and shower are in a shed 25m behind the house: M can’t get herself to the toilet:
F has to push her. They’ve done it so many times that there are two ruts ground into the dirt.
The door opens out towards the community: M has no privacy when she’s lifted onto the toilet.
There are no wheelchair ramps, so F has cobbled together dirt ramps, at the toilet and the house.”
(“Is this the best we can do?” Sunday Telegraph 15 November 2009: page 52)
prime movers
The needs of indigenous Australians,
people with disabilities, and the mentally ill,
spurred our collaboration to develop universally designed,
modular and flexible housing solutions
the result :
the universal house
CONTACT:
Jim and Penny Margach
Gateway Constructions
TOLLFREE 1300830127
universal design
making living easier . . .
.. for indigenous Australians
.. for people with disabilities
.. for carers and community supporters
.. for all Australians
more
The more I listened and learnt the more I felt this whole process is
about “movement”:
...making it easy for everyone to move around -in the home, next door,
down the street, within the community or country as life changes
(often dramatically and without warning)
...moving people out of hospitals and freeing up beds so others can
move in as early as possible
...people with disabilities being able to move around in general
...living much simpler, easier lives
Gabriel Poole, architect
low loaders
Low load on water, energy, resources water wise, ecological, factory built
Affordable, transportable dwelling units delivered to site on a low loader
Low maintenance fit out, furnishings and features
Height adjustable features and fittings
Low effort for everyday tasks
Easing the load . . .
...on families and friends
...on health carers
...on finance and funds
...on the environment
universal series
Experience as an occupational therapist was the drive to seek
out better solutions. Solutions that will be delivered, simple solutions...
...wheel friendly places and spaces
...solutions to support assistive technology
...furniture and fittings on wheels, rollers, and tracks
...smooth surfaces along which things can slide easily
Colleen Rowe, occupational therapist
Accessible
Affordable
Workable
Flexible
Manageable
Modular
Securable
Sustainable
Livable
Comfortable
Adjustable
Adaptable
Relocatable
Moveable
Valuable
road train
the universal house : simple design, express delivery
universal serious
Embracing the invited. . . enabling access to home and community
. . . honouring access to country
“With 25 years working within property development companies I feel I
am only at the beginning of a journey, a huge road trip, where the
possibility to deliver more affordable and accessible housing for all
Australians, is a reality.
If we are serious about this, we do need to free up the planning
schemes and reduce building regulation red tape so that
intergenerational and shared support housing (of this quality) can occur
wherever it is needed, in the suburbs, cities, towns, and country.”
Malcolm Holz, town planner
universal joints
Designs encourage intergenerational and shared support housing
with each module capable of being delivered on its own freehold title
Designs can be adopted, adapted, and arranged to suit local community,
care, and market conditions
Designs are flexible and changeable throughout the life span
of the building and the people
example designs
Design A is a fully accessible house suitable for people with disabilities with the facility to mount lifting tracks
anywhere on the ceiling with kitchen designed for use by the disabled. The overall space in these houses are more
generous to meet standards.
Design B has reduced room sizes for more affordable housing.
For Design B Aboriginal housing, we would consider it imperative that the wider two bedroom fully accessible wing be
applied to these houses
The outdoor living and kitchen area is designed specifically for Aboriginal housing but is presently attracting interest
by other enquiring homeowners. All modules are interchangeable for mix-n-match results.
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universal delivery
Delivering on the promise of fully universal, wheel friendly, flexible, functional homes
“With 30 years in the building industry and the last 4 years in developing
the Gateway Takeaway series, we can stake our claim to be the most
advanced builders of manufactured homes in this country. We are able
to deliver the Gabriel Poole designs within 12 weeks of order, to almost
anywhere in Australia and overseas.”
Jim and Penny Margach, builders and designers
Air
Light
Shade
Wide doors
Wide rooms
Sliding doors
Roller drawers
Pull out pantry
Reflective paint
Sliding windows
Roll down screens
Store for equipment
Cupboards and benches with wheels
Airways in walls and hollow ridge beam
Grab rails installed anywhere on any wall
Smooth steel kitchen bench tops and splash backs
Fully wheel chair accessible entry, rooms and car space
Engineered to easily and cost-effectively retrofit technology v
Grouped to provide separate residences, a larger family home or shared support
Enlarging or reducing the number of modules according to family need and stages of life
rolling stock
easing the universal house into place
the universal house
Making it easy to move in ...
“These houses are truly universal. They would provide excellent
accommodation for all and any Australian and have been designed and
thought through with that foremost in our minds. For my part, I would
dearly love to build the first one on my own land to personally inhabit.”
Gabriel Poole, architect
architects report
Accessible and Indigenous Housing
These designs have been developed in association with
Colleen Rowe - occupational therapist
Malcolm Holz - town planner
and will be factory built with the system developed by ‘Gateway Manufacture’ and Gabriel Poole.
The system
Our breathing wall and roof system encourages a constant flow of air
from under the house up through the walls and roof systems and
exhausts from the large ventilated ridge on the top of the building
Walls are of extremely solid construction with a 19mm solid timber inner wall lining
This enables the fixing of any elements without the need for additional noggin thus catering
for easy retrofit of grab rails, adjustable kitchen benches etc which may be required in these houses
The verandah
living area is roofed with a new system we have developed which is lightweight,
easily transportable and simply installed.
The roof space is finished on top with very efficient heat reflecting paint
Both ends of the verandah of the living area are secured with ‘Forceshield’
ventilating roller shutters and ‘Clearshield’ stainless steel security sheet
Floors are welded vinyl and all areas comply with codes relevant to accessible buildings
Fixing points are built into the ceilings for attachment of mechanical hoist
installations with loads up to 280 kg
The whole house is basically light weight timber construction
The same system slightly modified would be completely suitable for conventional housing.
The Designs
The designs consist of a number of different floor plans for;
bedrooms
bathrooms
kitchens
laundries
etc.
These units can be arranged in conjunction with the verandah living space
to form layouts suitable to a client’s particular needs.
At this stage of my career it gives me considerable satisfaction with the prospect that
my work may be put to use in areas desperately in need of attention and I sincerely thank
all my friends and associates who have helped us to reach such a pinnacle.
My bench mark for any house that I design is whether or no I could live in it.
I would love to inhabit one of these little numbers.
Gabriel Poole L.F.A.R.A.I.A. 19/11/2009
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