A Beginner's Guide to Aging In Place

LAYOUT The ADA states the minimum clearance for wheelchair accessibility is 32 inches wide. To improve flow, Soheil Nakhshab of Nakhshab Development & Design prefers a distance of 48 inches between the kitchen cabinets and the island (1). LIGHTING LED lights are long-lasting and easy on the eyes. In addition to task lighting above work stations, install lights in storage spaces to spotlight hard-to-see areas. STORAGE “You want daily-use items at waist-height,” says architect Karen Braitmayer, who recommends rolling cabinets (2) and pull-down shelves (3). Rotating lazy susan trays (4) and full-extension slide shelving also give easier access to deeper storage spaces. Child-safety locks on cabinets keep contents secure (5). DRAWERS Lever-style door handles and wide drawer pulls (6) are easier to grasp. Nakhshab also suggests a touch system “where you push the door and it pops open.” COOKTOP Induction cooktops (7), which conduct heat only when in contact with a magnetic cooking vessel, are safer for homes with children, as well as for adults who may forget to shut off the burners. Braitmayer likes burners set side-by-side with controls at the front. APPLIANCES Drawer-style appliances and side-opening doors can be game changers. “Imagine if you have a bad back,” says architect Robert Kahn. “The side-opening oven (8) is an ADA design that benefits the general population.” Light signals, which can be clearly seen from a distance, can also complement or replace audible alerts like buzzers. SINK Wheelchair users require clearance below the sink (9). Covering exposed pipes with insulating wrap can prevent burns or abrasions, says Braitmayer. Lever-style fixtures (10) are easier to grip than twist knobs, and motion-sensor technology gives users hands-free control. WORK SURFACES Countertops installed at varying levels (11) offer easy-to-use work spaces, regardless of the user’s height. Rails installed along the perimeter (12) offer extra support. FLOOR Surfaces like cork and rubber are comfortable, provide extra traction, and are smooth for wheelchairs plus, they hide nicks and scuffs.

Surrounded by a canopy of trees, the house is bordered by a deep overhang that matches the width of the concrete terrace. “What I like is that the decks and the courtyard are visually part of the house, but they’re outdoor spaces,” says Ted. Heid worked with Curtis Bosworth and John Weed of WBS Construction on the project.

Tacoma, Washington–based architect Ko Wibowo of Architecture for Everyone will discuss his Stevens Addition, which he designed for Ken Stevens, an active, vibrant man who’d been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. Wibowo's clean-lined project is featured in the July/August 2014 issue. Photo by Coral Von Zumwalt.

Marvin has a stated dedication to Universal Design, and planning for the long term. The Canadian project includes tilt-turn and hopper windows, with easy-to-reach handles.

The shower can accommodate two, and has Hansgrohe heads of differing heights with separate controls from Cifial. The residents stayed away from a built-in bench and opted to switch out a variety of tables and benches as needed, to avoid dealing with the mold or water stains that quickly materialize in a built-in. Tile from Statements.

A view from the dining area. The architects arranged for the large original fireplace to be taken down to maximize space, and added a new dividing wall between the living room and the kitchen. The island, outfitted with a gas cooktop from Fisher, is new. Its surface extends to an adjacent workspace, beneath which is plenty of clearance for wheelchairs or stools.

The gradually inclined entrance ramp and open plan help make the house accessible to a range of users.

Italian kitchen company Snaidero set out in 2002 to create an attractive kitchen system that would meet the needs of individuals in wheelchairs. The result: the Skyline kitchen.

Not only is it irresistibly cute, Sabi's mirror is also designed for universal use. Installation is a breeze: Punch out the to-scale template from the packaging and hang it with the included adhesive or easy-mount screw. Mirror ($160) and shelf ($80-$110) at sabi.com.

Thanks to a prefab in-law unit, an octogenarian modernist lives independently on a peaceful, verdant site in Northern California.

Architects Andy Bernheimer and Jared Della Valle, of Brooklyn’s Della Valle Bernheimer, came up with creative solutions to help David Carmel, who was paralyzed from the waist down in a driving accident, move around comfortably in his wheelchair throughout his Chelsea apartment. The bathroom has a roll-in shower and a sliding door made of Lumasite, a translucent acrylic that resembles rice paper. The architects bolted the Lumasite to an aluminum frame, but it can also be glued to wood, for a shoji screenlike effect. For extra stiffness, the architects glued two sheets of Lumasite together. Finding the right glue required a lot of trial and error, Della Valle recalls—which may explain why the manufacturer now sells double-thick sheets. Read the whole story here.

On the first floor, a gentle ramp ensures accessibility to common areas; all passageways are at least three feet wide. “Our goal was to accommodate a wheelchair without having the house feel designed differently at all,” says principal Lisa Gray. The builder on the project, Scotty McClelland, has known and worked closely with the families for many years.

So Melanie Maher could access the kitchen, Mikiten created a station with a KitchenAid cooktop, a refrigerator and freezer drawers from U-Line, and a Sharp drawer microwave. He also adjusted the height of the PaperStone counter to allow Melanie to roll her chair underneath.

With more and more baby boomers reaching the age of 65, architect Susanne Stadler believes the time is right to rethink and redefine housing. “Homes for life” share key elements: adaptability, transparency and flexibility. Increasingly, kitchens can double as health centers to promote health and wellness, while bathrooms are more like living rooms than “dark caves with no natural light." Stadler cited Snaidero’s Skylab accessible kitchen as a model for Universal Design.

New Aging: Live smarter now to live better forever, by Matthias Hollwich and Bruce Mau Design. Penguin Books, 2016. www.penguinrandomhouse.com/boo...

Architect Erick Mikiten helped Melanie and David Maher build a house in Livermore, California.

This seven-piece tableware set designed by Sha Yao for Alzheimer's patients includes anti-slip bowls, anti-tipping mugs, and curved spoons.