The announcement of a £300m independent living fund for local authorities has brought into focus the fact that, with an ageing population, the creation of more purpose-designed housing will form a fundamental part of future housing policy.
Equally, the growth in the number of people who will have to self-fund provision for their later years means that increasingly specifiers, designers and installers will need to take a more innovative, creative approach to what has traditionally been regarded as home adaptations.
Independent living solutions provider AKW is already recognising the fact that what the market wants is not a compromise solution that the term ‘adaptation’ can conjure, as marketing manager Joanna Marston explains: “What we have is a whole new emerging market. Today’s retirees and those generations moving towards retirement have lived in a consumer society that is far different from the ‘make do and mend’ approach that their parents and grandparents may have followed. They are used to having homes that are created to their taste and for the future, they will want homes that are purpose-designed for their needs and lifestyle.
Their needs will include features such as easy-access bathrooms – but their aspirations will demand style and quality. These are people that will want bathrooms designed, not adapted.”
With such an aspirational market in mind, AKW has set about creating ranges of products that will achieve stylish, design-led bathrooms but are also completely accessible. They are products which would grace any home and will enable those investing in their homes to future-proof without compromise
A solution that AKW has focused on is the wetroom: highly aspirational and the ultimate in accessibility. To meet the growing call for wetroom solutions, AKW has introduced the TriForm linear former which offers a number of installation benefits. A key advantage of linear formers is that they are easier for tilers to work with and allow the use of larger tiles, so increasing design choice. With four fall planes, the TriForm reduces the number of tile cuts required and allows the former to be fitted anywhere in the bathroom, rather than solely in an alcove which is the case with formers with two fall planes – all features that extend the potential for creative bathroom design.
Strong on style is AKW’s Larenco® range of shower enclosures which offers an impressive range of options for creating accessible and aspirational bathroom spaces. Designed in clear glass and high quality aluminium, the range includes options such as split doors, half height and a new bi-fold screen that enables the creation of a generous shower space to accommodate a shower seat or wheeled shower chair while providing easy accessibility for carer assistance.
The Larenco range features flexibility plus in-built safety and style for the whole family. In terms of fully-inclusive design, it offers an option for just about any showering requirement – and on top of that it is totally stylish and would enhance any bathroom.
In shower design, AKW also produces supremely practical features while keeping a firm eye on the all-important aesthetics of design. Designed to meet the needs of users with disabilities or sensory impairment, the Luda S® features an IQ smart control system which adjusts variations in water pressure and precisely controls temperature at a consistent level. This together with a host of additional safety features ticks all of the boxes for functionality while in terms of style, the Luda S® also has it all. Finished in silver and chrome, it is designed in the distinctive Luda tear-drop shape adding elegance to practicality.
Summing up, Joanna Marston says: “We are focusing on building ranges that have a wide market appeal without losing sight of the needs of our core market: people who want quality, choice and style – and the purpose-designed practical features that enable them to retain that all-important ability to live where they choose independently.”
