Blueroof Technologies, Inc.
Housing for People with Autism
Blueroof’s Goals
• Develop Technology for older adults
and people with disabilities
Phase 1: Develop and build a new type of
home in McKeesport and other areas
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Accessible
Smart
Affordable
Sustainable
Phase 2: Retrofit wireless technology into
existing homes and apartments
Presentation Goals
• Establish Design Goals for ASD
Housing *
• Review Each Design Consideration in
Terms of the Design Goals *
• Elicit Feedback from Participants
Most important features
Features not discussed
*OPENING DOORS - A Discussion of Residential Options for
Adults Living with Autism and Related Disorders , May be
viewed online at http://www.autismcenter.org/openingdoors.aspx
“Model” Smart Cottage
• Evaluate Accessibility Features
• Proving Ground for “Smart”
Technology
• Attract Important Visitors to
McKeesport
• Available “On the World Wide Web”
• Demonstrate “Smart” Technologies
Construction Spring 2005
“Smart” Cottage
Sun Clean windows
Nanomaterial coating
Zero step entrance
Research and Development
Quality of Life Technology (QoLT) Center
• Pitt, CMU, and others
 Penn State
• Smart Spaces @ UP
• PSUGA
 Industry
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Bosch North America
Philips
Honeywell
Seagate
AT Sciences
Young Adult Housing
ASD Residential Models *
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Transitional Models
Supported Living
Supervised Living
Group Homes (supported and supervised)
Farmstead Programs (supervised)
Intermediate Care Facility-Mental Retardation
(institutional)
* “Advancing Full Spectrum Housing: Design for Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders”
Design Goals
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I.
Ensure Safety and Security
Maximize Familiarity
Minimize Sensory Overload
Allow Opportunities for Controlling Social
Interaction and Privacy
Provide Adequate Choice & Independence
Foster Health & Wellness
Enhance One’s Dignity
Ensure Durability
Achieve Affordability
a.
Both Initially and Operationally
J. Ensure Accessibility & Support
Design Considerations
1. Neighborhood
2. Floor Plan Strategies
3. Outdoor Spaces
4. Living/Community Rooms
5. Kitchens
6. Hallways, Stairs & Ramps
7. Bedrooms
8. Sensory Rooms
9. Bathrooms
10. Laundry Room
11. Technology
Design Considerations (cont.)
12. Visual Cues
13. Ventilation
14. Lighting
15. Materials
16. Acoustics
17. Appliances & Fixtures
1. Neighborhood
• Neighborhood Accessibility & Support
 Close to family members, support groups, public
transportation, grocery stores, pharmacies, employment
opportunities, day programs, medical facilities and services,
entertainment and social options, parks and outdoor recreation
 Established, stable neighborhood
 Appropriate zoning to avoid future conflict
 Appropriate scale of facility to other existing structures
McKIZ
• McKeesport Independence Zone
 A 10 Acre “Aware” Integrated Community/Campus
 Oldest McKeesport ward
 15 Blueroof Research Cottages
 Technically tied together
 Wireless monitoring alert in the zone
 Model Cottage is the center point
 “Outdoor” safety and security
 Collect data-Blueroof Research Cottages
 Revive the neighborhood
Blueroof Smart Lamp Post
2. Floor Plan Strategies
• Familiarity & Clarity
 Predictability in the environment – spatial sequencing,
smooth transitions
 Clear spatial layout using half walls, vestibules, cutouts
 Clearly defined spaces & rooms
 Change of materials indicates change of use
 Clean lines, uncluttered
 Ample storage, shared as well as individual
• Sensory Sensitivity
 Separate high from low, include “escape “ spaces
• Health & Wellness
 Common areas, outsides, bedrooms encourage jumping, pacing, bouncing
 Private staff areas away from residents for paperwork, conferencing, etc.
Blueroof Assistive Homes
• Completed
Penn Hills for Milestone Centers
North Versailles for CLASS (UCP)
McKeesport for Mon Yough Community
Services
Irwin for Family Services of Western PA
• Under Discussion/Design
McKeesport for Allegheny Health Choices
Blueroof Spectrum House
3. Outdoor Spaces
• Safety & Security
 Adequate lighting on timers, zero step outside doors
• Familiarity & Clarity
 Covered walkway or porch at entrance, courtyard, mix of
hardscape and softscape, raised planters for access
• Social Interactions and Privacy
 Plant flower and vegetable gardens for residents to tend
• Health & Wellness
 Low maintenance landscape, adequate shade, recreational
facilities on site
 Healing gardens
• Homelike setting, spaces for privacy, social exchange possible,
stimulate awareness, family gathering site, comfortable seating, sense
of security, accessible
4. Living/Community Rooms
• Social Interaction & Privacy
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Range of areas for different types of interactions
Provide separate family meeting space
Central shared space for mailboxes, message board, etc.
Locate common areas in close proximity to one another
Common areas include active and quiet spaces within it
• Window seats, nooks, etc. provide opportunities for peripheral
participation if desired
5. Kitchens
• Safety & Security
 Food preparation space separate from cooking spaces
• Durability
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Durable, heat resistant, easily cleaned countertop surfaces
Avoid tiled or laminate surfaces
Mix countertops according to use
Solid wood cabinets
• Choice & Independence
 Adequate space, countertops, multiple stations
 Sufficient storage for items from each individual
6. Hallways, Stairs & Ramps
• Familiarity & Clarity
 Wide (4ft.) hallways and (3ft.) doorways, all floors accessible
 Short hallways and stairways
 Minimize blind corners, provide seating on landings
• Health & Wellness
 Single loaded corridors opening onto shared spaces or
courtyard for cross ventilation, light and social interaction
• Durability
 Use well-installed carpet runners on stairs
7. Bedrooms
• Choice & Independence
 Desk with task lighting
 Closets internally lit with built-in organization system
• Health & Wellness
 Individual climate control and ventilating fan
• Dignity
 Separate bedrooms with separate attached bathrooms
8. Sensory Rooms
• Sensory Sensitivity
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Systems to allow residents to modify lighting, music
Painted white or light, soft colors
Textures for added sensory engaagement
Acoustically contained
“Snoezelen” Rooms, (Dutch for “sniff” and “doze”, an
established sensory room model, can be adopted *
*http://www.worldwidesnoezelen.com/component/option,com_
frontpage/Itemid,1/
9. Bathrooms
• Safety & Security
 Install non-slip floor covering
• Health & Wellness
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One or more bathroom for general use
At least one accessible main floor bathroom
Wall hung sinks
Grab bars for toilet and shower/bath
• Durability
 Toilets should have concealed cisterns and use a push
panel flush system
 Tile or waterproof panels on all walls to minimize possible
water damage
Bathroom Fall Detection
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Low cost (uses infrastructure and software)
Recognize bath is occupied
Time non-activity
ALERT if no exit and no activity for a period
of time
• ALARM if no exit and no activity for a longer
period of time
10. Laundry Room
• Familiarity & Clarity
 Ample counter space for prep, folding and sorting
 Storage for laundry supplies
• Sensory Sensitivity
 Adequate ventilation with fans & Ducts
 Adequate acoustic insulation
• Health & Wellness
 Laundry sink or commercial hopper for large, soiled items
 Front loading washers and dryers, raised for accessibility
• Durability
 Floor drain
 Durable, continuous floor covering
11. Technology
• Technology presented by Bob Walters.
12. Visual Clues
• Safety & Security
 Incorporate visual signs into the home environment to
assist with safe use of appliances, electrical outlets,
windows, doors, and the like, in the form of pictures, words,
or warning colors understood by all residents.
• Familiarity & Clarity
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Picture schedules can assist residents with daily activities
Color coding can indicate location, room, functional area
Color palettes avoid bright, primary colors
Written or pictorial signage may be used
• Sensory Sensitivity
 Minimize detail and visual clutter
13. Ventilation
• Sensory Sensitivity
 Silent, ducted exhaust fans for kitchen and bathrooms
• Health & Wellness
 High quality HEPA filters
 Operable windows with enclosed blinds in living areas
 Moisture proof fabrics
• Affordability
 Double glass windows
 Wire bath exhaust fan to light switch and/or timer or sensor
14. Lighting
• Safety & Security
 Avoid high-heat tungsten or halogen bulbs
 Halls, stairs and landings well lit
 Outdoor spaces well lit with timers installed
• Familiarity & Clarity
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Use indirect lighting
Use bright, uniform, shadow free lights in bathrooms
Use under cabinet and recessed lights in kitchen
Use overhead, recessed and task lighting in most rooms
Provide lights in closets
• Dignity
 Recessed and task lighting in living/community rooms
14. Lighting (cont.)
• Sensory Sensitivity
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Natural light available in all rooms
Non-fluorescent, no-flicker bulbs
Even lighting levels with dimmers, easily adjustable blinds
Reduce glare with indirect lighting, clerestory windows,
awnings
 Only buzz free dimmers
• Choice & Independence
 Flexibility through portable task lighting
• Durability
 Wet areas need waterproof fittings
 Recessed lighting to minimize breakage
 Ample electrical outlets
15. Materials
• Safety & Security
 Non-slip flooring in bathroom, kitchen, laundry rooms
 Low pile carpets with smooth transitions
• Sensory Sensitivity
 Non-slip area rugs & wall hangings for acoustics
 Avoid materials with distracting patterns
 Choose soft color paints
• Health & Wellness
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Use zero or low VOC paints & hypoallergenic materials
Use non-toxic, biodegradable cleaners & no pesticides
Seal all MDF & plywood to minimize off-gassing
Use non pressure treated wood outside
15. Materials (cont.)
• Familiarity & Clarity
 Use contrast to indicate switches, outlets, other features
 Select materials that create a warm, non-institutional home
environment
• Dueability
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Select hard, continuous surface flooring
Carpet tiles rather than rolled carpet
Wainscoting, corner guards, high baseboards or chair rails
Durable, solid surface and backsplash, fire & heat resistant,
easily disinfected countertops
 Avoid laminates, tile with grout
 Solid wood is better than veneer or particle board
16. Acoustics
• Sensory Sensitivity
 Quiet appliances, HVAC, ventilation, washer & dryer,
refrigerator, dishwasher to minimize ambient noise
 Deeply raked joints in brickwork to break up sound
 Soundproofing panels where appropriate
 Locate blower for kitchen ventilator outside the kitchen
using a remote blower
17. Appliances and Fixtures
• Safety & Security
 Stove with induction cooktops, front or side controls
 Cool touch small appliances into auto-shutoff safety outlets
 Appliances with auto-shutoff or use motion detector or lockout control
 Drain trap with captive plugs instead of garbage disposal
 Sinks, toilets, baths and washing machines with flood alarm
 Single lever mixing faucets
• Durability
 Concealed cistern toilets with push panel flush system
 Bathtubs of heavy gauge porcelain on steel
17. Appliances and Fixtures (cont.)
• Familiarity & Clarity
 Appliances with large easy to read and use controls with
visual and audible signals
 Sufficient lighting for all appliance use
 Handles allow use of the whole hand
 Nightlights in kitchen and bathrooms
 Laundry room with sink, folding area, folding ironing board
• Health & Wellness
 Appliances easy to clean and maintain
 Accessible appliances and fixtures allow for more flesibility
over the life of the resident
• Sensory Sensitivity
 Appliances should be as quiet as possible
Blueroof Research Cottage
Blueroof Research Cottages
(BRC)
• Extremely affordable
• Energy efficient technology
Deep well geothermal heat pump
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Obtain quality of life data
Rent (subsidized) to low income adults
2 bedroom, 860 sq ft
Focus is “Research”
Presentation Goals
• Establish Design Goals for ASD
Housing *
• Review Each Design Consideration in
Terms of the Design Goals *
• Elicit Feedback from Participants
Most important features
Features not discussed
*OPENING DOORS - A Discussion of Residential Options for
Adults Living with Autism and Related Disorders , May be
viewed online at http://www.autismcenter.org/openingdoors.aspx
Thank You!
Please Visit Us at
www.bluerooftechnologies.com
Smart Technologies for Smart Living