Watch the video on Universal Kitchen Design.
Getting ready for "Boomers"
Builders trying to provide a quality product for their customers often go to great lengths to ensure the new home they build is safe, durable, and comfortable. But while the new home may meet the needs of the homeowner today, will it provide the same comfort and accessibility to the homeowner in 20 years?
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there are about 290 million Americans alive today, and one out of eight (about 40 million) are over the age of 65. By 2030, there will be an estimated 360 million Americans, and one out of five will be above retirement age. That equates to about 72 million people.
A new home is often described as the biggest purchase a person will ever make. So, it's important a home is able to accommodate its homeowners for the rest of their lives. Typically, however, most homes aren't built to accommodate the needs of the aging "Baby Boomer" generation.
Universal Design
"Universal Design" is a growing movement in the building industry to help face the challenges of an aging population. Universal Design (UD) means designing the home so that as the homeowners become older and possibly disabled, they're still able to maneuver around the home unaided.
The market for homes built with UD is quickly growing. The states that will see the greatest increase in population in the next 30 years are also the states that are home to the majority of the aging population—Florida, Texas, California, and Arizona.
The areas in the home that can be most readily affected by UD are the kitchen, bathroom, and bedrooms. These areas of the home are not only the most used but also usually have the most activity in them. With the safety of aging homeowners a concern, focusing on building functional surroundings for people in wheel chairs or with diminished physical capacity is critical. The kitchen is one area that's starting to see advances in UD. Typical kitchens still reflect traditional thinking, but in high-end design, changes are beginning to occur. The following are ways to incorporate Universal Design in the kitchen:
- Sinks and faucet controls above the stove. Installing an additional faucet above the stove makes filling pots much easier and is a quick and economical Universal Design element.
- Increase lighting. By age 60, most people require three times as much light to be able to see as well as they did at age 30. Installing additional lighting units can greatly improve the quality of life of the homeowner in later years.
- Closets and cabinets. Storage areas of the home should be designed so that they are accessible and usable for people unable to lift much weight above their head.
- Window controls. Casement windows are much easier to use, open, and close then double-hung windows, especially for people in wheel chairs.
- Adjustable countertops. The height of a countertop can affect the usability of the surface. For someone in a wheel chair, being able to adjust the height of the kitchen countertops will make cooking and preparing meals easier.
- Adjustable stove. The problem of being close to the flame or not being able to lift pots is solved with a stove that is height-adjustable.
Builders that think ahead and anticipate their customer's needs today and in the future will be in a stronger competitive position in their market. By understanding the realities of an aging population and the benefits of a home built with Universal Design, builders can create homes that provide a lifetime of comfort.
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