Balancing compliance and user needs is key to accessible bathroom design. Stuart Reynolds of AKW shares how smart product choices ensure cost-efficiency without compromising on tenant usability.

The key to success with any accessible bathroom installation lies in juggling the limitations of funding versus material and labour costs, physical space restrictions and longevity. The key challenges faced by social landlords looking at creating cost-effective, long-lasting accessible bathrooms include:

• Cost and funding: Minor adaptations, such as grab rails, are relatively straightforward to fund, however major bathroom adaptations require a means tested Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) and occupational assessment. They also need an experienced install team to minimise costly delays.
• Layout and space: Retrofitting a bathroom to be accessible and fully compliant can be challenging when dealing with outdated existing designs, materials and infrastructure.
• Futureproofing and adaptability:  To avoid repeated renovations, more and more social landlords are having to consider how their adaptations can be future-proofed.

Whether a bathroom needs minor or major adaptations, good design plays an important part in helping minimise the pain points for social landlords and improving the final tenant experience. In fact, according to a Foundations Independent Living Trust report, good design not only plays an important part in future-proofing housing stock but in reducing the need for further adaptations: “Some associations are using flexible designs, such as installing shower trays under baths, or fitting the anchor points for grab rails and shower seats, to allow rapid conversion when required.”

Delivering cost-effective accessible bathrooms

Delivering cost-effective accessible bathrooms requires social landlords navigating effectively the pain points of strategic planning, regulatory compliance and material choice. Here are some things to bear in mind:

Strategic planning

Initial designs need to prioritise accessibility from the outset to avoid expensive retrofitting. If possible, the use of standardised layouts, with modular bathroom components is worth considering across properties to reduce material and labour costs. However, this only works up to a point – think of installing anti-slip flooring, lever taps and toilet flushes, electric showers with easy-to-use buttons and dials and TRV regulation – as each tenant accessibility needs will differ. Also, the layout of the bathroom should be optimised, so that it is functional, meeting minimum requirements for turning circles and fixture placement, for example.

Regulatory compliance

Meeting Document M of the Building Regulations is fundamental to ensuring that an accessible bathroom meets access standards for the user, be that a turning circle of 1,500 mm for wheelchair users, specific height grab rails or sanitaryware etc. It is worth bearing in mind BS 8300-2:2018 standards that go beyond minimum compliance, and help social landlords create spaces that are genuinely usable for individuals with disabilities.

Careful choice of materials

Choosing materials that are durable as well as suitable for the user is key.
Easy wins in this area include the installation of non-slip vinyl flooring that is durable and affordable and reduces the risk of slips, moisture-resistant wall panels instead of tiles, which are cost-effective and easy to clean and corrosion-resistant grab rails that are low maintenance. Also, incorporating water-efficient fixtures, such as lower flow electric showers has sustainability as well as running-cost benefits.

Improving bathroom accessibility through good design

Websites are an excellent resource for those looking to learn best practice design advice and how to maximise cost efficiencies in installing accessible bathrooms or making adaptations. Here are some excerpts from online resources:

Managed movement

Grab rails and shower seats with arm rests promote safer movement. For those with visual impairments use two colours where the light reflective value (LRV) difference between both colours is greater than 30. This creates the most noticeable contrast between an object and its surroundings. Grab rails and shower seats are available in a range of colours to aid those with visual impairments. Also remember that colour contrast is best achieved with contrasting shades of the same colour rather than different colours.

Showering success

The controls need to be simple to understand and easy to use – and if needed, to use with one hand operation. There should also be obvious up and down buttons for temperature and flow control. Look for BEAB Care certified or approved by the Royal National Institute for the Blind showers. This is because they will reduce barriers to use for those with mobility or visual impairment issues. When it comes to water saving, some lower flow mixer showers use between 40% to 69% less water than those without a flow limiter.

Wall panels

Alongside the functionality and look of the space, wall panels achieve a high value appearance for considerably less than the cost of tiling and can enable a non-clinical finish to be obtained. They are also easy to maintain and can be fitted quickly using a standard toolkit, reducing bathroom downtime, and saving on using a specialist tiler.

When it comes to creating cost efficient accessible tenant bathrooms that are Part M compliant and meet the needs of the users, design is vital. However, with the right choice of fixtures and fittings, it is possible to create functional, long-lasting spaces that are cost-effective as well as looking good.

Stuart Reynolds is UK marketing and product management director at AKW