Welcome!
This page describes the development of a home designed with attention to:
The house is designed to be used by all people, without the need for adaptation or specialized design. For more information about universal design, visit http://www.design.ncsu.edu/cud/.
The home uses a rambler floor plan to improve access to the homeowners. Other floor plans can be adapted for universal design, with the incorporation of a bedroom and bathroom on the main floor. Note the long window (sidelight) adjacent to the front door. This allows a wheelchair-bound person to clearly view a visitor before opening the door.
The home is designed with universal access concepts in mind. Here, the garage floor is poured. The garage floor has been elevated several inches to reduce the elevation to the main floor. This way, an access ramp with 1/20 slope fits entirely within the garage, eliminating maintenance of an exterior ramp in winter weather.
Here, the homeowner consults with the general contractor, Todd Halle of T&S
Construction, Fargo, ND. The construction process involves frequent interaction
between homeowner and contractor in order to assure satisfactory accomplishment
of the unique design characteristics of this home.
Loop-style handle pulls are used on all drawers and cabinets. This facilitates their use by persons with painful or weak ands.
Base cabinet door hinges allow doors to fully open, improving access. Lever-style controls are selected for faucets.
The kitchen size is small, and use of an island is avoided. These features reduce the steps of meal preparers. Use of a wall oven reduces bending.A full-height pantry cabinet with storage from top to bottom provides easy access for wheelchair-confined persons.
Thresholds and floor covering transitions are flush or lowered. This allows easy access for a wheelchair-bound person and reduces trip hazards for persons who have gait disturbances. The use of wood laminate flooring is avoided, due to the necessity of transition strips, which create multiple barriers in the home. Wood, vinyl, and carpet floor coverings are selected over ceramic, to ease stress on weight-bearing joints.
The height of the steps (risers) to the basement level have been shortened. This makes stair use much easier for persons with back or knee problems.
Door widths measure a full 3 feet. This improves access for persons using wheelchairs, crutches, and canes.
The open home design reduces the use of hallways and minimizes turns to navigate the interior.
The use of wall-to-wall carpet in the great room and bedrooms eliminates the use of throw and area rugs, which are trip and slip hazards to persons with gait disturbances.
The home design accommodates living quarters and indoor parking for a future personal attendant. The lower level has a separate entrance for privacy.
A stacking washer/dryer reduces bending and is also more water-efficient.
Special attention is given to lighting in interior and exterior pathways for safety. This stairway features step lights that illuminate the stairway. The exterior front entry is illuminated with path lights. Toe lights are included in the master bathroom. Indirect lighting over the interior beams provides soft interior lighting. The lighting on the wall fountain is controlled by a infrared sensor.
Light switches are installed 44-48” above the floor to allow
easy access for a child and adult in a wheelchair.
A separate shower enclosure (not combined with a tub) allows easy access for mobility-impaired persons.Shower controls are mounted within easy reach of an attendant standing outside the shower. Pressure balancing valves on all faucets reduce the risk of burns for the elderly and children. The hand shower is mounted on a vertical rail, allowing easy access for child or adult, standing or sitting. A built-in shower bench is provided. A five-foot wheelchair turning diameter is allowed in each room, including the master bathroom.
The spa tub is the only one Medicare-reimbursable, allowing for hydrotherapy for multiple bone and muscle problems).
Grab bars are installed at the toilet, tub, and shower to reduce falls. Towel racks do dual duty as grab bars.
A walk-out is included in the master bedroom. This allows a bedridden or wheelchair-bound person to enjoy a view of the out-of-doors. An outdoor view has been found to facilitate recovery from illness.
A hand rail is installed even at this short set of stairs in
the garage.
Crank-type casement windows are installed with sill heights not higher than 36” to allow easy access for persons using a wheelchair.
Radon exposure is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the homeowner’s home state. Radon resistant building techniques are used, in accordance with the EPA’s publication, Building Radon Out: A Step-By-Step Guide on How To Build Radon Resistant Homes http://www.epa.gov/iaq/radon/pubs/ Here, the basement floor is poured. Previously, a system of perforated PVC pipe has been placed under the floor to collect radon gas from under the building. The gas is continuously evacuated through exhaust pipes through the roof. You can see the base of one of these pipes in the center of the photo. Home radon testing shows an ambient radon level in the lower level similar to fresh air (.35 PiC/L).
Appliances selected for the home are electric or vented gas. These measures reduce the build-up of nitrous oxide and other products of combustion in the home.
The home includes a central vacuum system. This feature reduces the presence of allergens generated by vacuuming. The power unit is mounted in the garage. This reduces the stair-climbing associated with emptying the full collector bag.
Stains, varnishes, and other finishes are applied off-site whenever practicable, reducing the exposure of workers and the occupants to volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
A central high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter is installed. This type of filter is the most effective method of reducing the presence of small particle allergens, including mold.
Double house wraps are used to prevent condensation inside walls and foundation, thereby reducing allergens.
A humidifier/dehumidifier is installed to control indoor air moisture.
Flexible air ducts are commonly used in the heating and cooling system for cold air return. These flexible ducts harbor allergens, and are difficult to clean. In this home, air ducts are constructed exclusively of rigid materials; flexible duct work is eliminated. This will facilitate the effectiveness of duct cleaning in reducing allergens, should it be necessary later in the life of the building. Access panels are installed in the duct work to facilitate later cleaning.
Particleboard is commonly used in residential construction for shelving and furniture . This material leaches formaldehyde (a carcinogen) into the air http://www.epa.gov/iaq/formalde.html. The use of particleboard in the home is minimized.
Carpet harbors toxins and allergens, which are not removed even with professional cleaning. The use of carpet in the home is minimized through the use of hard surface flooring. Where carpet is used, it is installed in areas remote from entrances to minimize the accumulation of pesticides and other toxins collected from footwear. Dyes and other materials used in carpet also release several harmful chemicals (called “off-gassing”) particularly when it is new. The carpet for this home is allowed to off-gas off site prior to installation.
Adhesives also release toxic VOCs. The use of adhesives in the home is minimized. For example, tack strips are used to install carpet, rather than floor adhesives.
The home is located in
An air-to-air heat exchanger is installed to conserve heat, as this home is located in a cold climate.
The home is insulated for a high R-value, and the steep-sloped roof (8/12) further insulates against the severe cold climate where the home is located.
High-efficiency heating and central air conditioning units are installed in this home. The air conditioner uses an environmentally-friendly cooling fluid.
High performance windows are installed. These windows are
effective in holding out the cold during the long
Energy Star (high-efficiency) appliances are selected for the home.
The lot will be seeded with low-water-use and slow-growing grass. The lot is also designed to minimize grassy areas. A tree-covered area on the lot further reduces the need for mowing. These features reduce both watering and the use of fossil fuel-consuming and polluting mowers. Landscape plants have been chosen for their low water use and tolerance to local climate (Xeroscaping).
The landscaping plan uses natural materials, such as mulch. This feature avoids the use of synthetics (e.g. plastic landscape sheeting).
Construction workers are frequently exposed to high noise. High noise is when you have to raise your voice to be heard three feet away. The homeowner actively supports construction workers in the use of hearing protection when in high noise by directing the general contractor and sub-contractors to provide workers’ choice of hearing protection and encourage their use.
Black Construction workers Wayne and Cliff avoid muscle strain by using a mechanical lifting device to lift and hold heavy building materials.
Construction workers install more floor joists. These workers are routinely exposed to the hazards of working on elevations and without the benefit of sure footing.
