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Universal design on display

March 9, 2007 12:35 am

BY RICHARD AMRHINE

PAUL WEISENBERGER speaks with authority when he says that everyone, at some point in their lives, will wish they lived in a house that incorporates universal design techniques.

He's one of the expert volunteer tour guides who direct visitors through the Universal Design Demonstration House in Prince William County.

After his son, Travis, was born with disabilities 33 years ago, Weisenberger took a special interest in any sort of initiative or innovation that aids or enriches the lives of the disabled.

More recently, Weisenberger's wife needed foot surgery and will need to stay off it for a while. If their bathroom at home had universal design features, she would enjoy more independence, and he wouldn't have to lift her here and there.

But the key point that Weisenberger and others want to make is that this is not a "house for the handicapped." It is a house for everyone, a house that any family could live in comfortably, and indefinitely, no matter what physical circumstance may come along.

The house is a cooperative effort if there ever was one. Located in New Bristow Village, a few miles south of Manassas off State Route 28, the house was built by Centex homes through an arrangement with Prince William County and the Greater Prince William Coalition for Housing and Universal Design. The architectural firm of Devereaux and Associates of McLean collaborated with Centex on the design.

Leon Harper (who uses LeonUDHarper as his e-mail address) chairs the universal design coalition and has been an advocate for the technique for the past 16 years. He has been involved with several other UD demonstration houses, but this one is by far the most important and successful.

"First, we are able to use it as a teaching house," he said, and that's because Centex has given the coalition several months to use the house for tours and education. Current plans call for Centex to put the house on the market after March 31. Like other homes in the neighborhood, it will be priced in the $600,000 range.

"We are able to show people the adaptability and flexibility of the design. This house lets people age in place; it can be the last house they live in, if that's what they want it to be," said Harper.

He explained that no matter how well-built or well-marketed the typical modern house, it becomes useless to anyone whose mobility is compromised due to age, accident or illness.

In the demonstration house, a future elevator shaft is built into the design. Behind the bathroom and powder room walls are wood blocks ready to accept grab bars.

"These things are there if and when they are needed," said Harper. "That is the adaptability and flexibility of the design."

There are stepless entrances at the front, rear and inside the garage, but you wouldn't necessarily notice that they are there. Harper said some people are sensitive to the disabled "stigma," and so even the concrete ramp to the front porch, which looks like a typical walkway, is hidden by shrubs.

Also, the front door looks like any other front door, except that both sidelights are to one side in one hinged 24-inch panel, creating a full 5-foot-wide opening when both doors are open.

After leading countless tours of the house, Weisenberger knows that many features are so well-camouflaged that people won't notice them unless he points them out.

One of the most notable features is the main staircase, he said. It's a full 4 feet wide, with baseboard lighting. The treads are deeper and the risers are shorter than standard to make the stairs easier to climb. The edges are given a darker stain, not because it lends an upscale look (which it does), but because it makes the steps easier to see for the vision-impaired.

Doors have handles rather than knobs, not because they look elegant (which they do) but because they are easier to use. The same goes for the hardwood floors, which are beautiful, but, more importantly, they are easier to navigate using a wheelchair.

You might not notice it, but the wall switches are 6 inches lower than standard, and the electrical outlets 6 inches higher so they are easier to reach. The windows are lower on the walls, as well, so it's easier to see outside from a seated position. The main thermostat is lower on the wall, as is the breaker box in the basement.

The bathrooms and kitchen are rich in universal design features. Recessed areas beneath sinks allow wheelchair users to roll up close. Wide doorways are welcoming, and many are pocket-style to keep the doors out of the way. Shower floors are flush with the bathroom floor but gently sloped toward the drain. An innovative water faucet is located over the kitchen range to allow on-the-spot filling of large pasta pots.

What people seem to appreciate most about the house is the wide-open floor plan. It is certainly typical of many larger homes, but for someone using a wheelchair it offers plenty of room to roam without feeling the need to "squeeze through."

If such design features became the standard, Weisenberger said, more people would realize how easily they can be incorporated, and how handy they can be for not only themselves, but for guests or aging parents who move in. But one thing has to happen first:

"People have to ask for them," said Weisenberger. "Builders have to know that this is what people want."

Richard Amrhine: 540/374-5406
Email: ramrhine@freelancestar.com