An Evaluation of Housing for the Severely Disabled. In the Context of a Service Delivery System

摘要

This report describes the philosophy, approach, and findings of a postoccupancy evaluation of Creative Living, an 18 - unit apartment complex for quadriplegics in Columbus, Ohio. The major aims of this study are to establish what can be learned about designing supportive living environments for the severely disabled, to identify insights into the financial and political processes affecting the development of such facilities, and to determine whether a quick, inexpensive, and trustworthy approach to postoccupancy evaluation is useful to architects and community groups planning housing for the disabled. The evaluation team spent 4 days at the site interviewing 17 residents, observing the design features, and photographing the layout of the individual units and the facility as a whole. In addition to project the background, the design process, the effectiveness of the design solutions, service delivery systems for the severely disabled, and the dynamics of project - HUD interaction, a summary of the evaluation results is provided in outline form. The appropriateness of each design feature (e.g., access to appliances, bathrooms, outside) is noted, along with suggestions for upgrading those features found wanting. Photographs are included.