Executive Summary

Within this document you will find the completed work of my University year 3 client project. This project aims at planning and producing an eco-friendly house for a client with a physical disability who is wheelchair bound and visually impaired. Throughout time architectural companies have strived to achieve the most evolved and sustainable houses, but have been unsuccessful by neglecting clients with specific needs. As the world pushes back against climate change, eco-friendly housing has become high in demand, but two such elements of sustainability rarely overlap. In this document I will be researching, planning and producing an outcome to this huge market gap and growing housing crisis for people with special needs. I will establish original plans and produce clear design concepts before creating a 3d visualisation for my client ensuring I adhere to feedback and adapt in order to overcome design concerns and adhere to sustainable development goal 12.

Introduction

This document serves as a timeline of development of my Year 3 Client project. This client project is that of a design plan I have been tasked with creating and developing for an architectural company who have outsourced to myself, in order to develop a suitable sustainable eco house appropriate for a physically disabled client. For this project, my client is that of an architectural company, as well as a physically disabled woman who is wheelchair bound and has a visual impairment affecting the quality of her eyesight. My job is to cater for her needs, ensuring they are sustainable for her in correlation to sustainable development goal 12, as well as eco friendly. I will need to research, plan, and produce a digital 3d visualisation to handover to the architectural company in the form of a handover document, in order for them to take forward the project. It should be noted that the digital 3d visualisation does not need to be textured, as fine details will be dealt with appropriately by the company. My communication to the client will be documented to ensure for a clear accurate development of the project allowing me to fully meet the demands assigned to me. I will be communicating with the architectural company who will act as a middle man between myself and the disabled client. 

I have chosen to take on this project, as it is an important milestone in my University progression. I am a Games design and development student at the University of Winchester who is in their third year, and am trying to establish myself as a reliable client to businesses by the time I leave University, as I aim to find work and eventually run my own business in the future. My strengths and interests lie in the speciality of 3D modelling and design. Through the completion of this project, I aim to not only complete a major project for my University, but to also document a personal and professional journey of my academic skills to help the community around me and further establish myself as a freelancer and a reliable client. The completion of this document will also act as further evidence of my expertise for my CV, which will be displayed in the bibliography and appendices section of this document. I plan to display my rational and reflection process throughout this document, as well as my communication and willingness to adapt and develop an appropriate and sustainable outcome for the project.

A major piece of criteria for this project, is the use and understanding of sustainable development goal 12, (Responsible consumption and production) this will be a goal for me to meet throughout my project ensuring my design development follows this principle. I will frequently be checking my work up against this criteria, to ensure that my client work is sustainable and is suitable for myself and my clients as well as the community around me.        

Literature Review

For this section, I will begin by exploring different pieces of literature within my chosen topic of architecture and inclusive adaptable living and eco-friendly buildings. This section is very important for me as it will help me to decide exactly how I will conduct my research and further development of my document. I will effectively analyse various sources that match the context of my own, to establish their strengths, weaknesses, allowing me to identify what I can take away and use within my own work, allowing my understanding of the subject to grow further so that I can effectively plan how I will conduct the rest of this project. All sources I used will be linked and referenced appropriately in my bibliography section of my document.

The first piece of literature I looked at comes from Harmane (2013) and looks into Design collective access: A Feminist Disability Theory of Universal Design. The article explores the subject of universal design within disability and feminist theory. It challenges the classic and simplistic interpretations of universal design and argues for collective access that allows for a broader social and spatial inclusion. It outlines how accessibility is framed as social sustainability, rather than compliance. 

The strengths of this article that I have identified are that it has a great deal of theoretical depth linking disability, as well as feminist thought process and architecture. Another strength I have identified from reading this article, is that it highlights how access is shaped by power and social relations. 

The weaknesses I have identified within this article, is that it seems to lack empirical focus on theory, leading to practical design guidance being limited. Another weakness I have identified is that the article does not seem to discuss environmental sustainability. 

The next article I looked at was that of the Inclusive Design in Architectural Practice: Experimental Learning, by Demibras et al (2018). It brought me a great qualitative study into architectural students who engaged in experimental disability learning, which showed that such education gives empathy and all round better inclusive design understanding. This leads to inclusive design starting earlier in design processes.

The first strength I have identified from this article is that it displays great empirical evidence showing how education affects design attitude. The second strength I have identified is that it displays clear themes on why inclusive design matters in the industry.

The first weakness I found in this article, is that it has a limited sample containing student only, therefore professional practices are unclear. The second weakness I found was that the study focused on education rather than built outcomes.

The following article I looked at, was that of the Re-framing built Environment Practice: Towards an Accessible city, by Musharaff, Kaushik and Jackson (2022). It presents me with a study asserting that architectural practice marginalizes accessibility and needs broad systemic change, this includes stronger collaboration with disabled people across design development and planning processes.

The first strength I found within this article, is that it centres disability as a lived experience in design. The second strength I identified was that it seems to critique real professional practice, not just theory.

The first weakness I found in this article was that it is based on practitioner reflections and seems to have no validation from quantitative data. The second weakness I have found is that the article focuses on public space rather than residential and eco design.

The next article I found is that of the Accessibility of built Environment for people with sensory disabilities by Chadic, Reda and Majuba (2024). The article gives me a systematic review focusing on how buildings respond or fail to sensory disabilities both visual and auditory. This therefore reveals where evidence gaps remain regarding accessible design standards and evidence representation.

The first strength of this article is that it reviews evidence across sensory disability types. The second strength I have identified is that it highlights research gaps for future work.

The first weakness I have identified in this article, is that it has limited focus on how environmental sustainability overlaps with sensory disability design. The second weakness I have identified within this article is that it is mostly evaluative rather than offering new design solutions.

The next article I looked at was the Design Inclusive Spaces in context of SDGs by Saraswat (2023). The article presents me with an investigation into inclusive environments in relation to UN sustainable development goals, particularly SDG10 and 11, using mixed methods and case studies to show how accessible design contributes to social equity and spatial inclusion.

The first strength I have identified in the article, was that it connects disability inclusion to sustainable development goals. The second strength I found was that it seems to have mixed methods and real world case examples.

The first weakness I found in this article was that it is not exclusively architectural and overlaps with certain policies. The second weakness I found was that it lacks detailed design descriptions. 

The next article I found was that of the Eco-ableism and Access Circularity in Natural Building (2024). This article examines how disability inclusion is often absent in sustainability discourses and introduces eco-ableism-bias that seems to marginalise disabled people in environmental spaces and sustainable building practices.

The first strength I found within this article was that it seems to bridge disability justice and environmental sustainability. The second strength I have identified, is that it offers conceptual overview to critique exclusion in ecological design.

The first weakness I have identified within this article is that it is primarily theoretical and not an empirical architecture study. The second weakness I identified was that the article is that its Novel based concept requires more case-based research.

The next article I looked at is that of Green Architecture with eco-friendly and sustainable interior design by Issa and Karas (2025). The article reviews the principles of eco friendly architecture with sustainable materials, natural light, renewable energy, and environmental comfort. It also highlights environmental benefits of green design practices.

The first strength I was able to identify in this article was that it has a clear breakdown of key sustainable design principles. The second strength I had identified was that it is useful for understanding eco-design fundamentals.

The first weakness I have identified within this article is that it does not focus on disability accessibility. The second strength I have identified is that the article is more qualitative and less evidence based.

The final article I looked at was that of the Inclusive Public open spaces: Accessibility Standards and Universal Design (2025). It gives a systematic review examining universal design, accessibility standards, and whether or not they are integrated into urban planning to create inclusive public open spaces. 

The first strength I have found within this article, is that it is a broad international literature base. The second strength I found was that it highlights policy, cultural, and planning factors in accessibility.

The first weakness I have found is that it focused on public spaces more than building interiors. The second weakness I found is that it rarely links sustainability and disability together.

Methodology

In this section of the document, I will now begin to plan out the method in which I will complete this project. After exploring and analysing various literature into my chosen topic, I have grown my understanding and have been able to map out a plan as to the completion of this project. I will now intend to explain my research and design process.

For my research stage, I will concentrate on achieving a broad collection of secondary data from both qualitative and quantitative trusted sources. I plan to use google scholar to find trusted pieces of research conducted by students and professionals in order to gather the appropriate data. I plan to explore and pull data from a total of 10 different sources, 5 being sources relating to eco-friendly architectural designs, and 5 relating to architecture specialised for disabled people. I will complete this process to gather a wide range of information, which I then plan to analyse and compare to establish trends and eventually build my own original components to be included within my design process. Once establishing core components and design features, I can then start to begin the ideation process.

It should be noted that during this time period, it is important that I pitch my ideas to the client, in order to receive feedback and implement the accurate demands of the client. This stage will mark a moment of reflection, ensuring elements have been achieved alongside the appropriate inclusion of sustainable development goal 12. I will complete a series of ideation sketches making sure I implement all the elements I had already established within my analysis section. These sketches will continue until I am satisfied with a certain design, from here I will narrow down the sketch establishing an appropriate prototype that implements all chosen features. The prototype will then be presented to the client for feedback, where I will continue to implement feedback into the next prototype sketch, until a final design is established. Once reviewed and signed off, I can then begin the production phase of my work. 

The production stage will be carried out next, I will use 3ds Max and the blueprints from my final design sketch to begin to block out my 3d design. From here I will begin to add the appropriate detail ensuring it is accurate to my blueprints. I will then communicate with the client for a final time for feedback, before UVW Unwrapping the 3D showcase and turning in a handover document with the accurate working file and design details/instructions. From here I can be assured that the project has been completed and will as a result conclude this document. 

Aims and Objectives

Aim 1 - conduct a range of secondary research from trusted sources gathering quantitative and qualitative data, and analyse and establish a design structure.

Objective 1 - gather secondary research from 5 eco friendly sources, and another 5 from sources on disabled sustainable living, and analyse to establish trends and ideas.

Objective 2 - Establish an original design structure from the data gathered and trends discovered, in order to outline ideation.

Aim 2- Carry out ideation in order to establish a final design making sure it is annotated and labelled effectively.

Objective 1 - Conduct a range of ideation to narrow down a certain design structure ensuring it has been approved by the client.

Objective 2 - Create prototypes for feedback from the client presenting further detail, before settling and sketching a final design.

Aim 3 - Create a final 3D visualization ensuring it has been UVW Unwrapped and handed over via a handover document with the design instructions and details.

Objective 1 - create a block out ensuring it follows the blueprint of the final design sketch.

Objective 2 - Add detail to the 3d model and UVW unwrap it to add to the handover document by exporting the file and clearly identifying the dimensions of the model to assure the client of accuracy. 

Findings

 Bibliography: Findings - 1)

This source can be found in my Bibliography findings 1) section at the bottom of this document. This source presented me with great knowledge when looking into the correlation between consumer satisfaction and sustainable eco living. This study states how there seems to be a positive correlation between the two factors, as consumers' mental and physical health seems to better when knowing their home is eco friendly alongside non toxic air which has been proven to improve lung health making for an all round sustainable source of living.

 Bibliography: Findings - 2)

This source can be accessed through bibliography findings 2) at the bottom of this document. This source helped me understand the importance in the growing consumer concerns of eco living. I discovered that consumers seem to be put off mostly by the expense it takes to live in the house, as well as the responsibility of running such a house, as well as the limiting design they have to obey due to the nature of the living quarters.

 Bibliography: Findings - 3)

This source can be accessed through my bibliography findings 3) section at the bottom of this document. The source does a great job at citing the minimal findings of renewable material and the growing concern linked to climate change as countries around the world have published more frequently as time has gone on. Renewable material is a concept I will need to take forward in order to make this project work.

 Bibliography: Findings - 4)

This source can be accessed through my bibliography findings 4) section at the bottom of this document. This source gave me great knowledge into how to exactly plan out weather conditions in correlation to the production of an eco-friendly house. It explores multiple sources of renewable energy, as well as exactly how to implement them into the design.

 Bibliography: Findings - 5)

This source can be accessed through bibliography findings 5) at the bottom of this document. This source did an excellent job at presenting me with real world examples of eco friendly buildings and how they have implemented renewable energy sources within them. It also opened my eyes up to the expense of the products produced.

 Bibliography: Findings - 6)

This source can be accessed through bibliography findings 6) at the bottom of this document. The source did a great job at breaking down the boundaries of disabled living, further enlightening me on the restraints placed on physically disabled people.

 Bibliography: Findings - 7)

 Bibliography: Findings - 8)

This source can be accessed through my bibliography findings 8) section at the bottom of this document. This source helped me understand the common demands of disabled residents as well as their daily struggles. This helps me build a better picture of what exactly my client may need.

 Bibliography: Findings - 9)

This source can be accessed through my bibliography findings 9) at the bottom of this document. This source gave me great data when looking into the correlation between disabled users' health and sustainable living.

 Bibliography: Findings - 10)

This source can be accessed through my bibliography findings 10) at the bottom of this document. This source gave me a great overall statistic on disabled people's needs in terms of living situations, allowing me to focus on the importance of the situation and the consequences if not treated correctly. 

Analysis

In this section I will now analyse the data I have collected, identifying key elements and trends to help me come to a conclusion and solution for my client.

From conducting my research, I can clearly identify the overwhelming uncomfortably a home owner experiences towards the idea of an eco home. The main concerns users experience are due to the cost and responsibility of up keeping and maintaining the house, as eco homes aim to run on renewable energy, instead of the harmful but accustomed burning of fossil fuels, polluting our planet, (and are running out quickly). Additionally, home owners raise the concern of not being able to adapt their eco house and renovate to their needs, this is due to the built in features commonly found in eco homes, which tend to feel unattractive on the eye, making for a more industrial feel rather than an attractive home feel.

The next point I can clearly identify is the lack of accessibility for disabled people in eco homes (as well as homes in general). Throughout the research I have conducted it is clear that disabled people, especially physically disabled people, have been extremely discounted during the construction of housing. For instance, in findings - 8) of my findings section, a participant named Robert, voices his daily concerns and anxieties towards his living conditions within his household. He voices that there are not enough grab rails and flat sloped surfaces in his house, coursing him to feel unbalanced and unsure whether he will fall and injure himself causing him to live in a constant loop of stress and anxiety. I also established a link between the small frame of eco housing and the uncomfortably of people with visual impairments, this causes further stress in individuals and is something for me to explore further when designing the house.

The overwhelming fear of anxiety seems to be further emphasized in studies such as the one displayed in my findings - 1) of my findings section. Studies have in fact proven that eco housing actually has a direct correlation to the individual's quality of living. This source clearly discovers that the experience of living in an environmentally sustainable household has positive affects on home owners mental health. Home owners have reported feeling revived and at peace knowing they are participating in the helpful aid of our planet. Equally, eco homes have also shown that physical health has greatly improved in residents, as a study concluded lung capacity and health improved due to non polluted air from the natural nature of the houses design.

The next factor I have identified is the importance of renewable energy sources, and which are the most sustainable. In findings - 5) of my findings section, I am clearly shown the thought process into the design workflow in real world eco housing construction as well as the implementation of renewable energy sources within the design. Solar power (although costing about £5000 - 8000 to install) seems to be the cheapest renewable energy source to maintain as well as the most effective. This effectiveness seems to be followed by wind turbines, which although are a great energy creator, are disruptive when placed in residential areas. These two styles of energy are the most sustainable for eco housing, so I will definitely explore this option further in my design process. 

Overall, I am satisfied with my research and have extracted and analysed the importance of each point I have been presented with. I have established a clear connection of disabled living and health with the ever complexity of an eco house design. I will now go forward with my design path and aim to establish clear design outlines for this project, ensuring they suit the sustainable needs of my client. Upon reflection, I have successfully completed aim 1 objective 1 of my aims and objectives. I will now proceed to complete objective 2 within this following section.

Established design plan 

I propose the following for my design. The design of the house must be a consistent open plan, in order to not cause distress to the client as they are wheelchair bound and visually impaired. The doorways and passing places must be at least 800mm (no smaller) to accommodate the clients wheelchair, allowing them to not feel claustrophobic and trapped, but equally stable. Grab rails should be placed in appropriate areas such as bathrooms and doorways, for easy momentum and stability of the client, they should be able to fold away as well as fix in place for maximum stability. Kitchen cabinets should have clear space underneath for leg room when needed for comfortability, equally the stove should be electric, in order to be accessed safely by the client, as well as for a more eco-friendly use. The house needs to be a one floor design extracting stairs as this would be impractical for the client, instead ramps should be appropriately fitted to doorways for easy access, and door handles should be placed low down on the door. The house should include certain colour coded areas to inform the client and guide them accordingly, equally gripped surfaces should be established in areas such as bathrooms to avoid hazards. A wet room is mandatory for the house to allow for maximum space and safety for the client.

I have proposed that the house will contain at least two renewable energy sources for the best sustainability. The first option being fitted and angled solar panels on the roof of the house in order to collect the most amount of sunlight possible to convert it into solar energy and therefore power the appliances of the house, this will be the main generator of power for the eco house. The second source of renewable energy I purpose the house could be fitted with, is hydro turbines. These work by producing kinetic energy, similar to a wind turbine, except it is silent and not a hindrance to the client or the rest of the community. These turbines will be fitted to the exterior wall of the house next to the main source of water waste, (this being the wet room) this will take any water flushed away via a shower, bath, toilet, or sink, and travel through the pipes and through the the turbines spinning them and allowing them to generate additional renewable energy to the house. 

This section successfully completes my aim 1 of my aims and objectives. Upon reflection of this stage in my project, I can say that I have successfully adhered to sustainable development goal 12, as my design pitch is renewable. After pitching these ideas to the client, I can positively say that they are satisfied with my plans. I can now continue onto my ideation stage. 

Ideation

This is my first ideation sketch, it is a very minimalist design featuring a kitchen, living room, bedroom and wetroom. It also features solar panels and low down door handles. It works but I feel as though it lacked space and character for the client.

This is my second ideation sketch, it takes the simplicity of my previous design and adds a more open plan style with room for the client to traverse with clear walk ways and the wet room and bathroom tucked away yet open for comfortability and privacy.

This is my third sketch. It took the open plan of my previous sketch and added room for a study and work space for the client by dedicating half the house to a wetroom and bedroom with the addition of a walk-in dresser in between for easy access after showering to get dressed. As you can see, the living room and kitchen remain very much open.

This is my fourth sketch. I tried to implement a structured and easy to follow design, by choosing to have the wetroom, dresser,bedroom, and study contained together in the centre of the house and the living room, kitchen and added bathroom and shoe case looped around the outside in a horse shoe shape. I thought that this would be an easy to follow design, as the client has a very specific route to follow through the house.   

This is my fifth sketch. For this design I reverted back to an open plan with a circular table centered in the middle of the room acting as a roundabout section for the client to move around with ease. I decided to keep the wetroom, bedroom, and walk in dresser segregated for privacy.  

This is my sixth sketch. For this design I decided to keep the addition of the rounded table but moved it off centre slightly to accommodate more space. The bedroom and wetroom are separated but are next to each other, with the kitchen and living room open planned. I also added hydro turbines connected to the wetroom to generate additional renewable energy. However, upon reflection, I do not like how the backdoor is blocked between the wetroom and bedroom, raising some possible safety issues and confusion for my client.

This is my first prototype for the house. I decided to take everything I liked about my previous designs, and make adjustments for better practicality and clarity for my client. I decided to link the bedroom, walk-in dresser, and wetroom together and close them off with the addition of a closed study on the end near the front door. These elements sit on an L shape leaving open room for the living room and kitchen, with open access to the backdoor.

Client feedback

I decided to pitch this prototype to my client for feedback. The client was satisfied for the most part but raised a simple but effective design strategy to me. This was to place the TV in the corner to promote the open feeling further and so it can be viewed throughout the entire house, creating a warmer and more enjoyable experience for the client.

This is my second prototype. I made the adjustment of the TV which was stated by my client, as well as adding more grab rails to further help the clients stability. I then pitched this second prototype to the client for feedback.

Client Feedback

The feedback I received from the client gave me great adjustments. The client stated how I should make sure there is space clearly annotated under the kitchen workspace so the client can move around with ease. They also added that I should add extra guard rails for the user to use for leverage when putting their shoes on and getting dressed. They also mentioned adding a mini roof over the front and backdoor to shelter the user from weather conditions.

With the feedback from my client, I was able to make my third prototype which added all the features mentioned in the client feedback, allowing me to make this my final design. This successfully allowed me to complete my Aim 2 of my aims and objectives.

Production

For my production stage, I began by blocking out the house. I established key features such as dimensions and the walls of the house, as well as the doors and windows. I created these by extruding and manipulating the polygons of a box tool, until I was able to establish the shape.

I would then add further detail by adding furniture, using the same method to slowly add detail to the house, ensuring I followed the blueprint from my final design sketch. I then added the grab rails by deleting centre polygons and bridging them to establish the shape. I added the front and back door ram as well as the shelter by using swift loops and manipulating them upward to give the client an attractive design.

I then added the hydro fans using the same modeling method, and added the roof on top of the house. I created the solar panels on top of the house by extruding a box inward and rotating it to get the correct angle of the panel, as well as adding the stand by repeating the same process of a cylinder.

After I checked over the model and was satisfied by the design, as well as receiving the go ahead by the client, I began to UVW Unwrap the model, ensuring it was correctly flattened and ready to be handed over via handover document. You can find this handover document at the bottom of this document in my Appendix 1 section under appendices. 

The confirmation from my client and completion of my Aim 3 from my aims and objectives, allowed me to successfully complete the project ensuring I had handed over my files and instructions via handover document.

Conclusion

In conclusion, I have produced a final product which has been approved by my client, whilst remaining sustainable adhering to sustainable development goal 12. I have identified my strengths and weaknesses as well as outlined and completed all three of my aims and objectives for this project. I have established a clear and precise plan for the project, and gathered secondary data to analyse and understand the facts and figures of the architectural industry. I identified gaps in the market and concluded that the secret to eco and disabled living is listening to the individuals needs and setting boundaries ensuring sustainability. I have incorporated not only the specialised needs of my client, but also merged them in fair alignment with the demands of what is required by an eco-friendly house. Through feedback and reflection I was able to problem solve and grow my understanding of the architectural industry as well as what being a client truly means. Overall, I am satisfied with this project's experience, and in the future, would like to gain further client jobs using what I have learnt in this project and adapting it to future clients.

Bibliography and Appendices

Appendices:

Appendix 1:

Handover document:

Carstens, S. (2026) A handover document. Unpublished original work. Available at: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1522q5Ac2RJUOsIMGIdFibCGQObjK4OuH (Accessed: 15 January 2026).