Accessible Bathroom Design and Virtual Reality

Our Bathroom design experts specialise in creating bespoke bathroom designs tailored to customer’s specific wants and needs. The designers work with customers to create a bathroom design that not only looks the way they want but suits the way they use it.

When designing a bathroom for disabled access or wheelchair use this aspect is even more important, extra considerations and practical adjustments that must be made to suit the customer’s needs.

Considerations and solutions when planning a disabled access bathroom

Height:
For wheelchair users, bathroom elements must be installed with height in mind. Toilets, sinks and units will need to be lower than usual to make them more accessible and easier to use.

Showers:
Designing disabled access bathrooms will usually include a shower being installed or replacing a bath tub with a shower unit. Shower screens and walk in models make a much more convenient solution than shower enclosures with swing or sliding doors. Folding seats can also be installed on to the wall for those that are unable to stand for long periods or at all.

For easy use, a remote-controlled shower is a great option as they can be operated and temperature controlled remotely. 

Space:
An accessible bathroom will focus on space as a key factor as wheelchair users will need extra room to manoeuvre. With space taking priority, the amount of fitted furniture and units will be kept to a minimum and slimline designs will be used where possible to maximise the amount of space available.

Design and features
With practicality being the key to designing an accessible bathroom, the Bathroom designer will attempt to keep the bathroom design sleek and simple with minimal lines. This not only gives the bathroom an aesthetically pleasing look but also minimises the amount of cleaning needed.

For customers who are not wheelchair bound but do have limited mobility, grab rails can be installed at key points to help them move around more easily. These rails can be installed to match the other elements of the bathroom so as not to compromise on style.

Single handed taps with wings make a much more accessible alterative to traditional designs and fit in with the sleek design of the bathroom design.

How can VR help with designing a disabled access bathroom?

The way we are designing bathrooms is changing. The introduction of Virtual Reality software is allowing customers to not only see their new bathroom design but to step into it – before it has even been built.

Experiencing the design in 360-degree 4D means getting a real sense of the bathroom design, it’s layout and space, allowing the customer to move around the space and imagine themselves in it. For customers with accessibility limitations and in need of disabled access, this aspect of space and layout is even more important and is crucial to their needs.

For wheelchair users, the design of a bathroom and the layout is crucial to them actually being able to use it safely and practically – with easy access and room to manoeuvre.

Wheelchair Feature in Virtual Reality.

To help wheelchair users picture themselves in a new design, the Virtual Worlds VR software includes a wheelchair user feature with a wheelchair using avatar designed to properly represent how accessible the space will be to the customer and how well it will accommodate their chair.

This feature is helping to revolutionise the way disabled access bathrooms are designed with the customer’s own experiences of using the software helping to fully inform designers how the bathroom should be set out for full practicality and design as well as giving them a chance to experience the room themselves as the customer would with the wheelchair avatar to better understand any features needed.

Looking to transform your bathroom with the help of our design experts and 360 4D Virtual Reality? 
Book your free planning & design consultation today