Universal design offers many unique challenges. The first one to overcome is to change our way of thinking. A project like this shows us just how patterned our thinking is. We in the remodeling industry must become more aware of the aspects of Universal Design because it is the future as the population ages.

Our clients had a story that is becoming more common everyday. They have an aging parent whose mobility is limited to the use of a walker now and in the not too distant future may need to use a wheelchair. Due to her disability this parent has come to live with them.

As a design/build firm we generally are limited to one or two decision makers. This was not the case here. The financing was being shared by the parent’s sibling and her two children and their spouses. Talk about to many cooks. We quickly became a design/build/mediator firm. Through this we had to keep our focus on the fact that our client was really a warm, caring woman in her seventies who was having a difficult time dealing with the simple everyday things we take for granted.

We started with a 26’ x 26’ addition off the back of this 1950s split level. Our client needed a user friendly space of her own, but it needed to flow smoothly into the main level of the existing house in order to allow her to be part of the family. Having a fireplace was very important to her, so a gas fireplace was a cornerstone of the floor plan. The new space needed to accommodate the furniture she had in her former home.

In general, the main living areas were on one level (no steps inside), all doorways and areas of egress were at least 36” wide, the existing kitchen was opened to the new area and all flooring surfaces were flush.

The bathroom is “wheelchair accessible”. The shower has a low threshold and has plenty of grab bars. The vanity is wheelchair accessible, and the toilet has a 36’ open space next to it along with a grab bar.

The HVAC is all in the 9’ high ceilings and none of the interior walls are load bearing. This means that as circumstances change this addition can be reconfigured to meet the changing needs of this family or the next family.