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Accessible living Pukekohe

Accessible homes, designed for independence.

Notre Dame Living is 23 completed, single-level, two-bedroom homes in Pukekohe, Lifemark 4-star rated and designed with step-free access and ease of movement in mind.

Book a private viewing Accessibility report

Open days · 11 and 18 October

Certified Lifemark 4, four stars

Certified Lifemark 4New Zealand's independent standard for accessible, adaptable homes

A visitor using a wheelchair explores the kitchen of a Notre Dame Living home with the tour group
Two Notre Dame Living homes at dusk, their level front entries lit from inside

Designed with accessibility in mind

Accessible from the very first sketch.

Accessibility wasn't added to Notre Dame Living at the end. Ramwall designed the homes around universal design principles from the start: homes that work for people of different ages and abilities, and keep working as needs change.

Every home has been independently rated by Lifemark, New Zealand's standard for accessible, adaptable housing.

  • Single-level living, no internal steps
  • Lifemark 4-star rated
  • Designed for ease of movement
  • Built to adapt as mobility needs change

From arrival to everyday life

Follow the way into the home.

Step through from the car space to the shower. Each step shows what the Lifemark 4 certification requires there.

A covered car space beside the entrance screen of a home

Step 1 of 5

A car space with room to get out

Each home has an off-street car space at least 3200 mm wide and 4800 mm long, so doors open fully and there is room for a wheelchair or walker alongside. The surface is firm, level and slip resistant; for units 1 to 5 it is slightly steeper, which Lifemark accepted by dispensation.

Lifemark 4 standard 1a, 1b

The numbers behind the design

Measured for everyday ease.

Accessible design comes down to millimetres. These are the Lifemark 4 standards every home is certified to.

Illustrative elevation of a doorway, not to scale: a door at least 860 millimetres wide with a level threshold, and the light switch and door handle both 1000 millimetres above the floor, as the Lifemark 4 standard requires.860 mm min.1000 mmLevel thresholdSwitchHandle
  • 860mmMinimum door width, entrance and every room
  • 1070mmMinimum hallway width (framed)
  • 900mmMinimum level-entry shower, 900 × 900
  • 1000mmSwitches and handles, one height

Accessibility features

Nine details that make the difference.

Every feature is drawn from the Lifemark 4 certification of the homes. See the full accessibility report →

A covered front entry beside the shared lane, the paving flush with the door
01

Step-free entry

Level entry from path to front door, with no steps.

Open-plan dining and kitchen with a clear, wide path to the front door
02

Wider doorways and hallways

Doors at least 860 mm and hallways at least 1070 mm wide, to the Lifemark 4 standard.

Wet-area shower behind a glass door, with no step at its entrance
03

Accessible bathroom

Level-entry shower, space to move, walls reinforced for future grab rails.

U-shaped kitchen with drawers under the benchtop and a wall oven at waist height
04

Practical kitchen

Clear space to move, appliances within easy reach.

Living room wall with light switches at handle height beside the hallway
05

Switches and controls

Light switches and power points at easy-reach heights.

Deck at the same level as the rooms inside, reached through wide sliding doors
06

Single-level layout

Everything on one level, with no stairs inside the home.

Covered parking on the left, a few steps from the front door, on level paving
07

Parking

Parking close to the front door, wide enough to get in and out easily.

Wheelchair user and visitors exploring a completed home
08

Ready to adapt

Features that make future changes simpler, such as reinforced walls for rails.

The wide shared driveway and paved lanes between the homes
09

Ambulance bays

Bays where an ambulance can pull in close to the homes.

Inspect the details

Look closer at the real rooms.

Choose a room, then select a number to see the certified feature at that spot. The same details are listed beside the photo.

U-shaped kitchen with drawers below the benchtop, a lever mixer tap and a strip light above the bench

  1. Storage below the benchtops uses drawers, which bring everything forward instead of reaching into deep cupboards.

    Lifemark 4 standard 12b

  2. Taps work with a lever, so they are easy to use with a weak grip or a closed hand.

    Lifemark 4 standard 11a

  3. Task lighting is fitted above the kitchen workspaces.

    Lifemark 4 standard 12a
Certified Lifemark 4, four stars

Accessibility report

Every standard, in one place.

The accessibility report sets out each Lifemark 4 standard the homes are certified to, with the key measurements, so you can review the homes with your family or support team. Print it or save it as a PDF to share.

View the accessibility report
A sunlit living and dining room opening through sliding doors onto a level patio

What this means day to day

Less effort. More independence.

Good design matters because of what it makes possible. At Notre Dame Living, that can mean:

  1. Moving around your home more easily and with more confidence
  2. Doing more for yourself, with fewer barriers in the way
  3. Easier visits and support from family, carers or support workers
  4. A second bedroom for a family member, guest or support person
  5. A home that may keep working as circumstances change

In their words

Perspectives on independence and design.

Hear from the people working with accessible housing and the design of Notre Dame Living.

Disability Connect

Mike Potter

Mike Potter is the CEO of Disability Connect, which supports disabled people and their families to have greater choice. Here he shares his thoughts after visiting Notre Dame Living.

That is about giving people their dignity, their safety and their independence, particularly as they age.

Read the transcript

Video description: Views of Notre Dame Living and Mike Potter speaking.

Select a line to play the video from there.

Lifemark

Rosalie Watson

Rosalie Watson is a Lifemark Advisor who assessed Notre Dame Living and provided design review and accessibility guidance for the project. She explains the design thinking behind its Lifemark 4 rating.

  • Afor access
  • Bfor bathroom
  • Cfor circulation
Read the transcript

Video description: Views of Notre Dame Living and Rosalie Watson speaking.

Select a line to play the video from there.

A tour group, including a wheelchair user, outside the Notre Dame Living homes

Who Notre Dame Living may suit

Homes for more people than you might expect.

Notre Dame Living may be worth considering if you are, or are supporting:

  • Someone with mobility needs who wants to live independently
  • A disabled person moving towards more independent living
  • An older person planning for how their needs may change
  • A family looking for a more accessible home for someone they love
  • An organisation looking at housing options for the people it supports

Every person's needs are different. The homes are designed to general accessibility standards and aren't a specialist or clinical care setting. We're happy to talk through whether a home may suit or be customised to a particular person's needs.

The shared lane between Notre Dame Living homes at dusk

For organisations and providers

Supporting people into housing?

If you're a provider, support coordinator or organisation assessing housing options, we'd welcome a conversation about the homes and whether they could work for the people you support. Get in touch to arrange a visit for your team.

Talk to the team Provider pack (PDF) View the pack online Accessibility report

Location

Close to what you need.

Find Notre Dame Living at 124 Edinburgh Street, near Pukekohe town centre, shops, healthcare and transport.

  1. Notre Dame Living124 Edinburgh Street
  2. 1.1 kmPhysiotherapyHealth
  3. 1.2 kmPukekohe Town CentreShopping
  4. 1.6 kmPukekohe Train StationTransport
  5. 2 kmGeneral Practice (GP)Health
  6. 3.2 kmPukekohe HospitalHealth
Open in Google Maps
Aerial view of Pukekohe at sunset, with Notre Dame Living marked by a pin and Pukekohe Town Square and Pukekohe Hospital labelled beyond it

Book a viewing

Looking for an accessible home for yourself or someone you support?

Come and see the homes, or talk to the team about their accessibility features and whether Notre Dame Living could suit your needs.

Open days

  • Sunday, 11 OctoberTimes to be confirmed
  • Sunday, 18 OctoberTimes to be confirmed
Get directions

Things you can check on your visit

  • The step-free path from the car park to the front door
  • Door widths, and the level threshold at the entrance
  • Space to turn and move between the rooms
  • The level-entry shower and the walls ready for grab rails
  • Switches and door handles at one easy height
  • Drawers below the kitchen bench
Speak with the sales teamKulina Burgess021 148 7237kulina@ramwall.co.nz

Start a conversation

Tell us a little about what you need. The sales team can arrange a viewing and answer questions about a particular home.

Choose “An organisation or provider” to add your organisation name and role.