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Design for the Ages 'User friendly' isn't code for ugly and uninspired when it comes to houses. Universal design is changing the landscape of homes, infusing accessibility and function with beauty and style  Wide open spaces: A bathroom developed through universal design needs a 5-foot turning radius, step-free shower, higher electrical receptacles and non-slip floors. Image courtesy Kohler Co. It's difficult to argue with the logic of universal design. If a home can be designed to be safer, ergonomically superior, easier in which to maneuver, more intuitive, and, in general, equally efficient for a healthy 10-year-old, a fully capable 35-year-old, a 55-year-old with arthritis, a blind 75-year-old or a mobility-challenged 100-year-old, why not do so? The con arguments usually follow two lines: It would be prohibitively expensive, and/or it would have the institutional feel of an assisted-living facility. Proponents of universal design have the unenviable task of dispelling such notions, which, although prevalent, are highly inaccurate. Universal design is human-centered design, based on the real-world differences between how people move, how strong they are, how large or small they are, and how their abilities and needs change throughout their lives, says Susan Mack, founder of Homes for Easy Living Universal Design Consultants, Murrieta, Calif. Universal design is not just for a subsection of the elderly or physically handicapped. It is a multidisciplinary design principle aimed at creating products and environments usable to all people. And it does not scream "infirmed." "If I am doing my job well, you will not know that the home is a universally designed home. What I'm trying to do will be seamless, not immediately apparent," says Mack. In fact, one of the primary UD features - a more spacious, open floor plan - is a primary design trait of almost any home built these days. Wider doors, no-step entries and low-mounted control switches also tend to go unnoticed, says Rebecca Stahr, president and CEO of aging-in-place specialist LifeSpring Environs Inc., Atlanta, and president of the nonprofit Universal Design Alliance, Suwanee, Ga. Appliances may be placed differently, say at different heights, she adds, but "actually UD is more not-recognizable than recognizable because it is so seamless." Some characteristics are completely invisible, incorporated into the construction for future adaptation. Grab bars, for example, require blocking in the walls to provide the required support strength. Even if you don't want the bars just yet, making sure the builder installs the blocking prevents the need to tear up the walls in 20 years. Similarly, on two-story homes, UD expert and architect Charles Schwab, Moline, Ill., creates large "stacked" closets (one on the first floor and one on the second directly over the first). Those closets could then be turned into a home elevator if a homeowner's physical condition requires it. "With modern housing the way it is, [incorporating UD features] is not difficult," says Schwab. Schwab points to bathrooms. A UD bathroom needs a 5-foot turning radius. Old bathrooms whose dimensions were generally set shortly after World War II revolved around accommodating the bathtub. A person in a wheelchair could never enter and turn. Over the past decade-plus, home designers have independently inflated bathroom size, making the larger UD-required dimensions expected. "When people walk through a home with UD, it just feels better to them, sometimes without their even knowing why. When the features are explained, typically because they are seamless and invisible, is when the 'aha' moment comes," says Stahr. Practitioners stress UD is not, repeat not, just for people in wheelchairs. Its benefits apply to all people of all abilities. Perhaps a better way to think of UD is by one of the other names often applied to it: inclusive design, transgenerational design or lifespan design. Take for instance the zero-step entry, a signature of all UD homes. Sure wheelchair users benefit, but the feature also aids parents with strollers, residents who use wheeled luggage and backpacks, anyone moving heavy items in or out on carts, and simply people who want to slow the wear and tear on their knee joints. "Universal design is user-friendly ergonomic design that applies to all of us," says Mack, who began her career as an occupational therapist and knows a few things about muscle and bone strain. "We're living longer and putting more miles on our bodies than previous generations. I look at how we can reduce wear and tear and preserve bodies, joints and backs." Another UD element is the step-free shower, with grab bars and a non-slip surface. "Universal design removes unnecessary hazards and really does enhance safety, health and well-being, and longevity," says Mack. "I don't care how old, young or strong you are, everyone is at risk of slipping and falling in a wet, soapy environment. UD helps you to maybe avoid a fall that could be a disabling fall." Similarly, convenience and efficiency apply to everyone, from harried singles to multi-child families to seniors trying to minimize energy used throughout the day. UD specifically aims to layout homes in the most efficient, convenient manner. That means, for example, major kitchen appliances placed on the same side of an island, near one another. Mack worked with an Ohio developer who put a laundry room behind the master bath. The two share a common closet accessed by separate doors on each side. So rather than carrying freshly washed towels to the master bath from the laundry room, you just place the towels in the cabinet on the laundry room side and remove them on the bath side. In terms of costs, the ultimate price of a UD home really depends on the chosen features. Installing extra bathrooms or an elevator can add significant dollars, but a 3-foot-wide door costs $5 more than a 2.5-foot wide door. Basic UD access features cost nothing on a new slab home, and might add $500 on a home with a basement. Some experts say UD can add anywhere from 1 to 4 percent to the selling price. But all say the money is well worth it in virtually any circumstance. "When you look at the cost of assisted living ... one year lived longer in your own house more than pays for the cost of UD," says Schwab. "This is definitely the way of the future - it gives you peace of mind, knowing that you can live in a house until you are 100 years old."
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