A Durable Calgary Home Allows For Easy Aging-In-Place
An empty-nester couple enlists their soon-to-be daughter-in-law (and architect) to design a home where they could live for decades to come.
Home design can be a hazardous endeavor for a couple: the process can rapidly reveals different visions and priorities. One husband and wife nearly found out the hard way: Dave, a longtime entrepreneur, and Maria, who works in the oil industry, experienced a stormy first home design. The pair—who are empty-nesters but still active professionals—now sought a new home that would accommodate their needs well into the future. The house would have to be hardy and low-maintenance while adapting to potential changes in their health and mobility. After securing a plot within inner-city Calgary, they tapped their soon-to-be daughter-in-law Deana Lewis to lead the design. With only one designer in charge, says the architect, there wouldn't be "too many cooks in the kitchen" like last time. Lewis, who recently co-founded the architecture firm DOODL, used durable materials to craft generous and flexible spaces that Dave and Maria can use for the forseeable future.