Shelter in Place:Entrance
June 2025
Protection with a Purpose, the shelter in place or front porch a component of UD for home entrances. You can Pause, perch, or place yourself in this shelter.
Great Shelter in Place or Covered Porch!
UD Checklist for Optimum Shelter in Place
6’x6’ porch , smooth and level
Shelter covers the front door and porch area.
Space for staging object which is 6’ from the front door.
Adequate lighting of the porch area.
Has RING, smart doorbell, traditional doorbell, door sensors or other device to announce your presence.
Shelter in Place : This level area needs to have at least a 6’ radius of clear space to allow for 360 degrees of turning in any direction, giving everyone accessibility. If your lifestyle includes a caregiver (think Mom/Dad with a baby stroller or Grandpa with an aide) than you will find a porch that is greater than a 6’ radius, as in the above picture, will be even more comfortable.
This house is under construction but I appreciate the large shelter in place/covered porch allowing 360 degrees turning in any direction, zero entry, smooth pathway, adequate turning radius of 6’ and lighting. I can’t wait to see the finished project! This is best option for shelter in place.
The new ADA guideline for a turning radius is 5’7”. Professionally, I have found this guideline is not comfortable when a person is pushing a wheeled device. The shelter in place/porch needs to be large, level and smooth for easy propelling of wheeled devices.
Often there is a need to maneuver back and forth , side to side on a porch to reach a child, keypads, or preparing to enter the home.
The drawing is the 2023 ADA guideline for the minimum turning radius of 5’7” for any public spaces including porches, showers, bathrooms, kitchens, hallways etc.
The takeaway here is that a 6-foot turning radius isn’t just a number—it’s an invitation. An invitation for people using wheelchairs, walkers, strollers, or even rolling suitcases to navigate their lives with dignity, ease, and autonomy. Incorporating that standard across every room means:
Kitchens where all family members can prep, cook, or open the fridge without bumping elbows or walls.
No dead ends or awkward pivots in a bathroom.
Hallways that feel open, not like tunnels.
There needs to be a space for a staging area in the shelter in place. The staging area should take up as little shelter space as possible but it also must work for your needs. The purpose of the staging area is to provide a place to put things down, sit down, or pick things up. Benches, chairs, trunks all might be staging areas.
Staging area has a bench,
with pillows sitting off from
front door.
Best UD Option
for Staging.
Try to keep decorative objects 6’ away from the front door. The six-foot zone right outside the front door is prime real estate for movement, maneuvering, and welcoming.
Think of it as a universal design launchpad—keeping it clear means: ALL can be welcomed into the home
BEFORE: Planter encroaching on 6’ porch, front door area doesn’t have as much clear space.
AFTER: 6’ Open space for turning
and staging, best option for UD Porches/Shelter in place.
Every porch should have shelter/cover, another UD feature. In colder regions, it reduces the risk of ice forming directly at the door. In warmer climates, it offers relief from intense sun exposure, lowering heat buildup on door handles and entry mats. And in wet weather, it creates a dry, stable zone for anyone entering with mobility challenges—or an armload of groceries.
Shelter in Place
This home has used UD to the max! Smooth path to front door, contrast from path to porch by materials and color, a zero entry, bench is staged inside porch, interesting front door, easy to see, path lighting guiding you to front door, shelter over the large porch! The best UD Option for Shelter in Place. Would I like less vegetation by door, Yes!
A shelter is not just for a front porch but think of back patios or porches. When a patio or porch has protection from the sun, it affects our health in a positive way.
Here is a decorative shelter in place. Let your creativity flourish with architectural features for your shelter in place.
Esthetically pleasing , porch has turning radius, and zero entry, obvious where you enter for the front door, there are black lights on the porch sides that track to the front door. The Best UD option for Shelter in Place/porch.
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