This week marks 10 years since my father died. Dad died in 2013 at only 76, after more than a decade living with Parkinson’s disease. This is a story about housing my father, and my mother, during this time. Following his diagnosis in 2001, I began designing a new home for them. My design approach was to LEAD WITH LIVING & FOLLOW WITH CARE. Every client is unique, with unique histories, lifestyles, needs and desires. I design for these unique human qualities first. Sure, accessibility enables, but with all living environments the first objective should be to delight. My father had a shuffling gait, ratcheting joints, was often in pain, and could not stay in one position for long. Worse than this, and a lesser known aspect of the disease, can be chronic mental health issues. For periods of time he was very depressed, sometimes delusional, and had long stays in a psychiatric hospital as he received treatment. But between these times, my father enjoyed a rich and fulfilling life with lifelong friends and family. The new home was built in the same location as my parents’ previous home. The site was on farmland in the Gold Coast Hinterland that had been in the family for generations. Dad had short-term memory loss from his treatments, mainly ECTs. To continue living in familiar surroundings was key to his enjoyment of life and his memory of that life. My father’s mobility issues were not significant, but his short term memory loss, mental health issues, and pain were. Therefore, the house was designed to:
Elicit meaningful long-term memories of family, friends and place by providing resting and gathering places with views to significant memory items, for example trees he’d planted years earlier
Provide short term resting places, for both rest and engagement. This meant rest could happen anywhere rather than the rigid duality of rest in a bed, or social engagement in a chair. It meant dad could ’cruise’
MAXIMISE THE POTENTIAL FOR INCIDENTAL VISITATIONS through the design of the indoor and covered outdoor spaces. Places for family & friends to gather were not just provided, but were designed so that people WANTED to visit out of a sense of enjoyment, rather than obligation.
The house became a vibrant hub for family and friends in the small farming community for many years. People would sometimes say, oh but there’s no ramps, there’s no grabrails in. No there weren’t. That wasn’t what he needed. I don’t design FOR DISABILITY. I design FOR PEOPLE who just happen to have some physical and/or cognitive conditions to be considered in the design process. If you value this thinking or if I can assist with your project, please reach out. I’d love to hear from you.
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