Bungalow design for a disabled client. Discuss the form of construction and compare the advantages and disadvantages of your choice and form of materials.

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DEGREE COURSE:  PROPERTY MARKETING, DESIGN AND      

                          DEVELOPMENT

MODULE:                  DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION

BRIEF:

YOUR CLIENT, A HOUSING ASSOCIATION, WISHES TO PROVIDE THE FOLLOWING HOME (AS A DETACHED BUNGALOW) FOR THE FOLLOWING RESIDENTS:

ONE – 3 BEDROOMED HOME WITH GROSS INTERNAL FLOOR AREA OF APPROXIMATELY 120m2 FOR ONE PHYSICALLY DISABLED PERSON (WHO RELIES UPON A WHEELCHAIR AND A SPECIALLY ADAPTED MOTOR VEHICLE) AND ONE CARE ASSISTANT.

JANUARY 2007

1.  Sketch the proposed plan layout and elevations for the bungalow

Discuss the form of construction and compare the advantages and        disadvantages of your choice and form of materials.  

Illustrate and describe the proposed method of constructing the roof and state the reasons for the choice of materials and design.

There is now an increasing array of options for the house builder e.g. Masonry Shell, Timber Frame, Steel Frame, Insulated Concrete Forms - ICFs, Pods and Prefabs, Structural Insulated Panels - SIPs, Green Oak and Post Beam Structures, use of unusual structural materials e.g. earth, straw bales, hemp etc. (1)  

My design is a three bedroom timber framed bungalow externally faced with brick. The roof will be covered with concrete interlocking tiles and the timber windows and french doors will be double glazed. A covered carport will be provided at the side of the property, with a slip resistant surface illuminated by a PIR sensor.  A wide, slip resistant level path will lead from the carport to the bungalow entrance, where there is an illuminated covered porch and a level threshold to the front door.  The gross internal floor area of the bungalow is X sq metres.  The floor plan and external elevations are Appendices (A1-5).

The likely build cost of £984 per m2 is based on the Homebuilding and Renovating Magazine’s Average Build Cost Guide (February 2007).  The factors taken into account are a medium sized single storey property built in the South East by a main contractor to a standard/good level of build quality, having regard to the special needs of the disabled person.  The total build cost is estimated to be £984 x  Xsq metres, excluding fees, services and external works which are likely to be in the order of £30,000.

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The capital cost of building this bungalow is only part of the total cost of the project.  The future operating and maintenance costs can be significant.  Therefore, construction choices should be based on whole life costs.  A study carried out by the National Audit Office on behalf of the ODPM states:

“The search for best value in homebuilding is not simply a question of finding the lowest cost.  It is vital to maintain and enhance quality including those aspects of quality that affect durability, lifetime running costs and overall performance in areas such as sustainability”. (2)

 

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