Inclusive and accessible design consultancy and research

I bring my combined expertise in occupational therapy, design and research to advise on the design of inclusive and accessible housing.

Central to my practice is learning from people with lived experience about their priorities and the situations they encounter. The negative impact of clinical and institutional environments cannot be underestimated.

I seek innovative solutions to address issues experienced by people with physical, sensory, cognitive impairments and those who are neurodivergent. I have a special interest in design for dementia.

My practice is interdisciplinary and collaborative. I work with all stakeholders involved in the design and build process: residents, commissioners, developers, architects, designers, surveyors, planners and contractors.

My design research explores the impact of the environment on behaviour and agency.

Practice

Make It

Projects

  • Planning appraisals

    I have several years and experience reviewing planning applications to assess compliance with Part M of the building regulations.

    Detailed appraisals identify key dimensions and space requirements on all aspects of buildings including communal and private access and approach, internal circulation, habitable rooms and outside space.

    Recommendations are informed by good practice in design for neurodivergence, dementia, and sight loss as well as physical access.

    Click Here

  • I know what I like

    My doctoral research explored how design could support people living with dementia to express their everyday aesthetic preferences.

    Dementia might affect the way our minds work - but we will always know what we like.

    Most of us like to choose the colour and style of our clothes and how our homes are decorated. Having the things that we like around us, reflects our identity. It can bring us pleasure.

    Shared Looking: an accessible framework of engagement, invited participants to share their favourite mugs, colours and spaces in the home.

    Sharing these likes and dislikes revealed information about personally significant experiences, places and relationships.. Participants’ enngagement and enjoyment in the process suggested a reinforced sense of self.

    This method offers a way to suport people to have more choice and control over the curation of their personal space.

    Click Here

  • Change your view

    Is there too much choice, too much information, too much noise in urban city centre environments? Do we need zones of non-consumption: facilities or prostheses to survive everyday life? This project explored interventions that provide moment of respite.

    Click Here

  • Standstill

    Negotiating crowds in busy city centres can be overwhelming . Step up for a moment and take a break

    Click Here

Explore projects

Shared Looking :

Using everyday objects, colour and favourite spaces in the home to support expression of everyday preferences

Three consecutive meetings - to share everyday preferences :

  1. Lovely mug ugly mug

  2. Colour choice

  3. Favourite space in the home

Personalised booklets that capture images and quotes about likes and dislikes and

reasons for those choices

Contact

If you would like to know more about:

  • Inclusive and accessible housing design

  • Home adaptations

  • The Shared Looking toolkit

  • Assistance in design research projects

About

Services

Planning appraisals

Consultancy

Research

Locations

UK

Recognition

Innovative Solutions
Architectural Advancements
Multidisciplinary Collaboration

Clients

Centre for Accessible Environments

Habinteg
Housing LIN

The Occupational Therapy Service