In 2022, the National Construction Code (NCC) introduced new livable housing requirements. The revisions establish features based on the Livable Housing Design Guidelines silver standard, with a voluntary gold standard available for features beyond the minimum requirements. The changes were implemented to 'ensure that housing is designed to meet the community's needs, including older people and people with mobility limitations'.
The rulings apply to Class 1a buildings (houses and townhouses) and Class 2 sole-occupancy units (i.e. individual apartments). Following a transition period, they were adopted in most States and Territories in October 2023.
(Note: In Tasmania, Part H8 Livable housing design takes effect on 1 October 2024. Part H8 does not apply in NSW, as livable housing design requirements do not apply to Class 1a buildings in NSW.)
In summary, new house and apartment designs must accommodate:
- access to the dwelling (i.e. getting to the entrance from the allotment boundary)*
- ease of entry to the dwelling (i.e. ease of access through a step-free entrance)
- ease of movement within the dwelling (i.e. through internal doors and corridors)
- ease of movement using a toilet
- ease of access to and movement within a shower (by way of a step-free shower) and
- the ability to add supports like grab rails (through the reinforcement of bathroom and sanitary compartment walls).
* The NCC already has provisions for access to apartments in Volume One. Therefore, the dwelling access provisions of the Livable Housing Design Standard do not apply.
Notes 3 to 6 above are most relevant to bathroom design. The following is a summary of the NCC requirements related to these areas.
Ease of movement within the dwelling
(Livable Housing Design Standard Part 3 – Internal doors and corridors)
Internal doorways in new homes and apartments must have a minimum clear opening width of 820 mm. (Note that a single swinging door with an 820 mm clear opening width can generally be achieved using an 870 mm door leaf.)
This applies to a doorway that connects to, or is in the path of travel to, any of the following:
- a laundry or habitable room on the ground or entry level
- an attached Class 10a garage or carport that forms part of an access path required by the Livable Housing Design Standard
- a sanitary compartment on the ground or entry level (see below) that complies with the Livable Housing Design Standard
- a room containing a shower complying with the Standard (see more below).
Where an internal doorway falls into any of the above categories, it must also meet the Standards requirements for thresholds. The threshold must:
- be level, or
- have a height not more than 5 mm if the lip is rounded or bevelled, or
- have a ramped threshold that doesn't extend beyond the depth of the door jamb, has a gradient not steeper than 1:8 and is at least as wide as the minimum clear opening width of the doorway it serves.
Concerning corridor widths, internal corridors, hallways, passageways or the like, if connected to a door that meets the above, must have a minimum clear width of 1000 mm* (measured between the finished surfaces of opposing walls).
* Skirting boards, architraves, timber mouldings, skirting tiles, door stops, conduits, general power outlets and the like may be disregarded for the purposes of meeting the requirement above. Door hardware may encroach the required minimum corridor width, too.
Ease of movement using a toilet
(Livable Housing Design Standard Part 4 – Sanitary compartment)
The Livable Housing Design standard requires that there must be at least one sanitary compartment located on the ground or entry level of a dwelling.
What is a sanitary compartment?
The term sanitary compartment refers to a room or space containing a toilet. It may apply to bathrooms, ensuites, powder rooms, or any other room housing a toilet. To be consistent with the wording in the NCC, 'sanitary compartment' is used instead of 'toilet' or 'WC' (water closet). The term also helps avoid confusion when referring to a toilet; the word should apply to the plumbing fixture (toilet) instead of the room in which that fixture is located.
A sanitary compartment that meets the above categorisation must be designed and constructed to meet the following clearance requirements (as set out in Clause 4.2):
- A toilet pan in a separate sanitary compartment must have a clear width of at least 900 mm between the finished surfaces of opposing walls on either side of the toilet pan.
- In a room containing a toilet pan, any fixed obstruction—like a basin or vanity unit—must be located at least 450 mm from the centreline of the cistern.
- A clear minimum circulation space of 1200 mm x 900 mm must be provided from the front edge of the toilet pan. This applies to both a separate sanitary compartment and a sanitary compartment combined with a bathroom. The minimum circulation space must be clear of the door swing and applies regardless of whether the door is inwards or outwards swinging or is a cavity slider.
Note: skirting boards, architraves, toilet roll holders, skirting tiles, door stops, and the like may be disregarded when determining compliance with Clause 4.2 of the standard.
Ease of access to and movement within a shower (by way of a step-free shower)
(Livable Housing Design Standard Part 5 - Shower)
The Livable Housing Design Standard requires that at least one shower in a new dwelling must have a hobless and step-free entry.
The standard sets out the following information to clarify the difference between hobless and step-free and the subsequent need for both attributes:
Clause 5.2 (1) refers to a shower entry being 'hobless' and 'step-free' because those two terms have different meanings. A shower where the floor within the shower compartment is level with the floor adjacent to its entry would be 'step-free' but could still have a hob. Conversely, a shower with a step-down into the shower recess does not have a 'hob' (i.e.' hobless') but would not be 'step-free'. Therefore, to achieve the intent of Clause 5.2(1), it is necessary to specify that the shower is both 'hobless' and 'step-free'.
Waterproofing a hobless, step-free shower area
Part 10.2 of the ABCB Housing Provisions and Australian Standard AS 3740 include specific requirements for waterproofing a hobless, step-free shower area. Refer to KBDi Technical Bulletin Waterproofing in Wet Areas for more information.
Reinforcement of bathroom and sanitary compartment walls
(Livable Housing Design Standard Part 6)
This requirement ensures that walls adjacent to toilet pans, showers, and baths can support the future installation of grabrails if needed. It does not require the installation of grabrails at the time of construction.
Clause 6.2 of the Livable Housing Design Standard requires the reinforcement of walls to:
- a sanitary compartment that is subject to Part 4
- a bathroom containing a shower that is subject to Part 5 or a bath (if provided), other than a freestanding bath* where the bath is located in a room that also contains a shower that is subject to Part 5
Note: This requirement is not applicable if the room's walls are constructed of concrete, masonry, or another material capable of supporting grabrails without additional reinforcement.
More about baths
A freestanding bath is excluded from this requirement because it has no adjoining walls to which grabrails could be fixed.
A bath with only one adjoining wall only needs reinforcing provided in the adjacent wall (unless the wall is constructed with concrete or masonry).
Care is required when locating a cavity sliding door adjacent to a fixture that needs reinforcement. The framing surrounding the cavity into which the door retracts demands careful consideration of fixings and members that will safely support a grabrail without impeding the door's operation.
The Standard requires that reinforcing is constructed using a minimum of 12 mm thick structural grade plywood (or similar) or timber noggings with a minimum thickness of 25 mm.
Refer to KBDi Technical Bulletin Livable Housing Design - Bathrooms for more information.
The livable housing design requirements above may only partially cover your clients' needs. Working closely with your clients in the briefing stage, and liaising with their support team where possible, will help ensure your overall design outcomes meet the code requirements and satisfy your clients practical needs.