Can a Garden Annexe Be Designed for Disabled Access?

Yes. A garden annexe can be designed from the outset to provide excellent accessibility for people with limited mobility or wheelchair users. At Garden Annexes, we can adapt the entrance, internal layout, doors, bathroom and other features to suit the individual needs of the person who will be living there.

Just as importantly, we recommend considering future accessibility requirements when the annexe is first designed. Even if these features aren't essential today, incorporating them into the design can help future-proof the annexe.

Step-free and ramped access

The first consideration is getting into the annexe comfortably and safely.

Where required, we can incorporate a gently sloping ramp leading to the main entrance. Although the finished floor of an annexe is raised above ground level, the external works can be designed to accommodate this difference gradually.

We can also specify an ultra-low-profile threshold at the entrance, reducing the step into the annexe to a minimum.

Entrance doors are typically more than a metre wide, providing generous access for wheelchair users and people with reduced mobility.

Accessible internal layouts

Accessibility doesn't stop at the front door.

We can configure the floor plan to provide straightforward access throughout the annexe, taking into account circulation space and the needs of the individual resident.

Where appropriate, conventional hinged internal doors are replaced with sliding pocket doors. These disappear into the wall when opened, making movement between rooms considerably easier and avoiding the space and manoeuvring required around a swinging door.

Pocket doors can be incorporated between the living area and bedroom, as well as at the entrance to the bathroom.

Accessible bathrooms and wet rooms

The bathroom is particularly important when designing an accessible garden annexe.

We can specify the bathroom as a wet room, providing a practical, flexible space without the obstruction of a conventional shower tray or enclosure.

The bathroom can also be designed to accommodate features such as:

• Wheelchair access and manoeuvring space

• Grab rails

• Accessible shower facilities

• Appropriate sanitaryware

• Suitable waterproof flooring

• Other adaptations to suit individual mobility requirements

The exact specification can therefore be tailored around the person who will actually be using the annexe.

Future-proofing your garden annexe

Even where a resident doesn't currently require significant adaptations, it's worth considering how their requirements could change in the future.

Features such as wider doorways, accessible circulation space and carefully considered thresholds can be much easier to incorporate during the original design than to retrofit later.

Our aim is to design an annexe that works for its resident from day one while also considering how their needs may change over time.

Talk to us about your accessibility requirements

Every resident's requirements are different. If you're considering a garden annexe for someone with limited mobility or a disability, talk to us about their particular needs at the design stage.

We can then incorporate the appropriate accessibility features into the annexe specification and layout from the outset.