Free liveable housing app launched

Livable Housing Australia (LHA) has launched a free app which will guide the design and construction of homes that are more liveable for all Australians at all stages of life.

LHA Executive Director Andrew Aitken explained that the app “puts the Livable Housing Design Guidelines in the palm of your hand”, outlining “simple, straightforward features that can be incorporated into any new or existing home”. Such design features are “inexpensive to incorporate and make homes safe, comfortable and easy to access for everyone”, he added.

The Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities and Carers, the Hon Amanda Rishworth MP, said the app will make it even easier to design and construct accessible homes. She noted that “ensuring houses are accessible for everyone is an important step towards a more inclusive society”.

Aitken said the Livable Housing Design Guidelines are being “embraced by industry, and more than 250 dwellings have achieved the Livable Housing design Quality Mark this year alone”. Last month, Lend Lease’s Isabella Gardens in Canberra became the first retirement living village in Australia to achieve the Gold Livable Housing Design Quality Mark.

With the future market for liveable design features expected to be a large one, Aitken claims “learning how to design and build liveable homes now is a smart move”.

“This new app will ensure everyone in the industry - from architects and designers to builders and tradespeople - has easy access to guidelines that will help us make Australia’s homes more liveable.”

The app can be downloaded from the AppStore or Google Play.