Nearly 30 years after Congress passed the Americans With Disabilities Act in 1990, accessible-design advocates say there’s still plenty of work to be done to make the built environment just as accommodating for people with disabilities as it is for everybody else. But Erick Mikiten, a California architect with a specialty in universal design, points out one striking example of accessible design from which homeowners, other pros and accessibility champions could learn a lot. And it predates the ADA by more than three decades.
Global warming is a reality that we are faced with, but we can still all play a role in protecting the environment. People across the country are growing increasingly aware of their role in reducing their carbon footprint. Due to this, many people now choose green design to construct their homes.
Nothing says Toronto like this house, right? It’s a pretty typical brick semi-detached with a bay window and a front porch. You see these everywhere from the East to the West. This one is different. This one does not use fossil fuels.
The topic of “laneway housing” has been showing up all over the news lately. It has been called the solution to Toronto’s real estate demand, a new way to live for extended family and a smart real estate investment all rolled into one. All this excitement surrounding this building typology is well founded because given the correct steps, laneway housing will undeniably liven up our city and strengthen our communities.
Chances are you’ve seen this sofa. The Ikea Ektorp is super popular. It basically looks like the cartoon shape of a sofa. Families all over the city have them in various states of wear. The renovation process isn’t really over when we archive the project and wrap up our final punch list for the contractor. Once we finish, it’s time to furnish and display. At this stage the budget might be burnt out and the clients may well be suffering from decision fatigue. The old Ektorp gets moved back in to the new space and surprise, it looks totally out of place in the upgraded interior.
This week we wrapped up a project that has been under construction since April. This moderate renovation to a semi detached home in the beaches was really fun to work on because our clients were great design collaborators.
We have decided to make grab bars a standard in bathrooms.
Until you ask us nicely to remove the grab bars, we will include them in your bathroom design. This morning we gathered round the building code and chatted about the importance of grab bars and how they add an element of safety to bath tubs and showers.
Living in a city that is full of healthy trees is important for everyone and Toronto is working to protect and grow our urban forest, keeping our trees healthy and our city green and beautiful. As your trees grow and change they’re likely to need some work, but before you adjust an established tree permits are required. Here are the need-to-know procedures and the need-to-have forms.
We are lucky to live in a city full of tiles from all over the world -not to mention many great outlet stores. However, classic tile shapes and colours are commonly chosen for their understated aesthetic and low cost. Some of our favourites are squares, rectangles, and hexagons. Basic tile is great for playing with colour and patterning. Let me show you the pleasure of basic tiles.
Architect Daniel Hall, O.A.A., LEED AP specializes in Green Design and renovations to older houses. With over 30 years of building experience Daniel can answer all your questions in a personally tailored Pre-purchase Reno Review before you make an offer.
