Housing for the Future - The Sydney Olympic & Paralympic Games Experience

By Michael Fox
Access Australia, Sydney
http://www.ictaglobal.org/global/papers/housing_990521.html

Background

1993 was a very significant year in Australia. In September 1993 Sydney won the right to stage the 2000 Olympic and Paralympic Games. On 1 March 1993 the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) commenced as national legislation requiring equal opportunities for people with disabilities.

To plan and implement construction of the various venues and facilities for the 2000 Games the NSW Government established the Olympic Co-ordination Authority (OCA). The Sydney Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (SOCOG) and the Sydney Paralympic Organising Committee (SPOC) were established to manage and operate the 2000 Games.

In 1995 ACROD (the peak organization of disability service providers) was asked by OCA to prepare Access Guidelines for these venues and facilities, with a goal of best practice accessible and equitable environments. As part of the planning group that developed these Access Guidelines, our aim was to identify the appropriate processes for implementing accessible environments, schedule the required access codes and legislation, and provide recommended best practice guidelines.

The Guidelines included reference to AS 1428 Parts 1, 2 & 4, and the new Adaptable Housing Standard AS 4299, published in September 1995. These Access Guidelines were adopted by OCA in April 1996 and all venue and facility proponents, developers, contractors and consultants were required to include the requirements of the Access Guidelines. Following an OCA review of the 1996 Access Guidelines, a second edition was published by OCA in March 1998.

Olympic Village

In August 1995 OCA called for expressions of interest for development of an Olympic Village suitable for the estimated 15,000 athletes and associated personnel during the Olympic Games and estimated 7,000 athletes and personnel during the Paralympic Games.

Access Australia was contracted as access consultants to the Mirvac Lend Lease Village Consortium (MLLVC) to develop an Access Strategy for the total project, including adaptable, visitable and accessible housing. Available references at the time were policies from the South Australian Housing Trust, NSW Department of Housing and several international examples. Our approach was to firstly develop criteria for an accessible public domain, including streetscape, signage, street furniture, paving and lighting. The approach regarding accessible housing required careful consideration in relation to the Olympic & Paralympic Games requirements, as well as development of an appropriate response to the then new Adaptable Housing Australian Standard AS4299. In 1995 there were very few examples of adaptable housing and our first task was to set reasonable criteria for the number of visitable, adaptable and accessible houses.

Following extensive research, consultations and discussions with MLLVC we decided to adopt criteria for equitable distribution of 30% visitable housing, 5% adaptable housing, and sufficient accessible housing to meet the Olympic & Paralympic Games requirements.

In December 1996 the MLLVC consortium was selected to construct the Olympic Village and we began detailed planning for implementation of the access criteria.

OCA requirements for submission of tenders for major projects meant that by the time the MLLVC tender was accepted, considerable planning and design had been carried out by MLLVC and the consultancy team. The MLLVC concept was to develop four precincts on the site with three residential stages and a retail commercial centre. The northern stage is being developed and sold prior to the 2000 Games. The central and southern stages will house the Olympic and Paralympic athletes and support personnel.

Access planning

The first phase of access planning for the Olympic Village was careful assessment of topography and establishment generally of a 1:20 gradient criteria throughout the Village. This included review of AS1428 kerb ramp details in relation to the residential character and grassed verges. Criteria for public seating with backs and armrests, careful selection of signage and 30% luminance contrast between pedestrian walkways and adjacent ground surfaces.

Various housing designs were developed and assessed to identify suitable designs for visitable and adaptable housing, together with careful consideration of site gradients for equitable distribution within housing precincts.

Assessment of housing types related both to the housing stock to be sold prior to the Games and housing which would be used during the Olympic and Paralympic Games. This included the development of a Paralympic Wheelchair Accessible Housing Checklist, in conjunction with OCA and MLLVC. This checklist assumed that Paralympic athletes would be more mobile and agile than the requirements of AS1428.

Garages have been modified to become bedrooms with modular bathrooms and include short ramps with gradients of 1:8 or temporary raised floors. A significant proportion of the Olympic and Paralympic housing consists of temporary modular housing which will be replaced progressively by conventional housing after the Games.

The retail and commercial precinct, at the centre of the site, provides shopping, community facilities and business opportunities in an accessible public domain.

The Olympic Village, to be known as Newington, will include accessible pedestrian and transport linkages to Olympic Park venues and transport infrastructure. The Village is scheduled for staged completion, and during 1999 and 2000 SOCOG will manage installation of the Olympic and Paralympic Games fitout and overlay.

Media Village

During 1999 a Media Village will be developed in Lidcombe, approximately 10 kms south of the Olympic Park venues. The Media Village is being constructed by Clarendon Homes and will include approximately 51 detached houses and 14 town houses.

Access Australia criteria for visitable and adaptable housing at the Media Village will comprise an accessible streetscape, and equitable distribution of 30% visitable housing, including 5% adaptable housing. Detailed design will incorporate visitable and adaptable features in the designated housing. Clarendon Homes consider that visitable and adaptable housing is a significant market opportunity and propose including these features as a module in future projects.

Housing for the Future

Visitable and adaptable housing is a new concept and will require further development and careful marketing to the Australian housing industry.

Our experience with visitable and adaptable housing raises a number of issues:

1) What is an appropriate percentage of visitable / adaptable housing units?
This requires consideration of supply and demand and a relevant reference is the ABS 1998 Survey of Disability. People with limited mobility comprise approximately 19% of the Australian population, of which approximately 1% of the total population are wheelchair users. Overhead 2

2) Are the visitable and adaptable requirements of AS 4299 adequate?
AS 4299 was researched and published in 1995 and since that time significant changes to the BCA and AS 1428 Part 1 have been published and adopted. International examples and experience need consideration, together with case studies of visitable and adaptable housing examples in Australia.

3) Should local councils require adaptable housing?
A number of Sydney local councils have included adaptable housing requirements in their Development Control Plans and Access Policies. These typically require that 10% of medium density housing should be adaptable. Available DCPs do not require visitable housing.

4) How do visitable and adaptable housing relate to topography?
Australian cities and towns vary significantly in their topography. The steep harbour foreshores and suburban ridges of the Sydney region provide more difficulties for implementation of visitable and adaptable housing than relatively level suburban environments like Adelaide.

5) What is the relationship of adaptable housing to the DDA?
The DDA generally requires that public environments should be accessible and non-discriminatory. The Attorney General's Department considers that Class 2 residential public areas may be covered by the DDA, whereas private residences are not required to be accessible under the DDA. Class 3 residential buildings, e.g., hotels, motels etc are required to be accessible both by the BCA and DDA

Adaptable, visitable and whole of life housing is an excellent concept. The challenges are to promote public awareness of the concept and benefits, and to provide the housing industry with practical, equitable and workable solutions.

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Editors Note: Michael Fox is Chairman of the RI Commission on Technology and Accessibility (ICTA) and this paper was first posted on its website.