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London studio Alexander Hills Architects has transformed a house at Old Rectory Farm in Norfolk into an accessible residence with level access living spaces.
The old rectory farm has been extended and renovated so that the father, who uses a wheelchair and has limited mobility, can continue to live at home “with ease and dignity”.
Alexander Hills Architects created horizontal circulation throughout the ground floor plan, while adding two extensions and converting the adjacent stables to accommodate additional living space and bedrooms on this level.
“The house and farm have been part of the family for three generations and the father is now a wheelchair user and requires assistance to continue to live in the home,” studio founder Alexander Hills told Dezeen.
“The plan was to create a specific space for him and a caregiver,” he continued. “As part of this major requirement we looked at wider plans to realign the existing stables, garages and farm offices to achieve this.”
The kitchen is at the heart of the house, adjacent to the large open-plan living and dining space, with views over the Graven Valley through the large rear window.
Set away from this central family living space is the former stables, which have been updated to create two en-suite bedrooms for the father and a live-in carer.
The father’s bedroom is located off the main driveway, ensuring “cars can park directly outside” for maximum accessibility, while also offering views over the swimming pool.
“We arranged the plan so that his room is aligned with the main passage of the house and overlooks the swimming pool, so that he can visually participate in the domestic space outside,” explained the studio.
Throughout, oversized doors are used to ensure there is adequate space for wheelchairs and carers, and horizontal thresholds provide access to the outdoor terrace.
One of the home’s extensions increases the living area, while another contains a utility area. They are designed in a unique style.
Within the utility areas, timber, brick and flint were used to reflect the rustic feel and “rich textures” of the 19th-century farmhouse.
In contrast, the extension to the main living space has a more contemporary design. A wide curved roof is clad in rusted zinc and sits on oak columns.
Other accessible homes featured on Dezeen include the timber-framed Butterfly House in Surrey, which was designed as a future-proof home for the client’s elderly mother.
In Hampshire, Ayre Chamberlain Gaunt built Claywood as an accessible and functional home for a retiree who used a wheelchair due to a spinal cord injury.
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