This Saturday’s Washington Post Real Estate Section has a very good article about accessible housing and the market.
The writer, Sandra Fleishman, got the story right. I agree that the market is not there yet. There are lots of reasons.
One is demonstrated by the photo in the article. It shows a sore ‘nose’ ‘ramp’ built onto the front of a house. Whether the work inside is beautiful and functional or not, the ramp will stigmatize the house.
I get a nice quote as does one of my clients. Here are before and after photos of her house. From my view of the post photo the approach we took to achieving a no step entry, reworking the grade so nothing shows, could have worked on the house in the article. SO, maybe one of the problems we need to overcome is helping designers and builders envision the solutions differently. That may give the market a chance to get ready.
Louis Tenenbaum, one of the nation's leading authorities on aging in place, is the founder of HomesRenewed, a coalition of business, consumers and nonprofits, driving policy and investment to increase the number of age-friendly homes.
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
You are so right Louis! Until builders and remodelers see the benifit of Universal Design in their projects (remodeling, new construction) we are “doomed” to keep repeating the same old design build.
Some day the word will get out there that, Barrier free is not just for old or disabled people!
Keep on truckin!
Louis, the house you worked on not only functions better, it even looks better than before. Nice job!
Louis, great working design. Slowly as people Realize that universal design safety doesn’t mean “handicap†or ugly but that there are many great aesthetic possibilities as you have proven.
rvg