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Age-in-place gracefully within this fully-accessible 'transgenerational' house. | |||||||||||||||
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Design
by James J.
Pirkl, FIDSA |
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Probe the 'WHY' and the 'HOW'... |
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| > | The Transgenerational Concept | |||||||||||||||
| > | The Project's Goals | |||||||||||||||
| > | House Description | |||||||||||||||
| > | The Design Program | |||||||||||||||
The Transgenerational Concept... ...IS NOT about building specialized "elderly" or "disabled" housing and furnishing them with "adaptive" or "senior" products. IT IS about designing residential environments and household products to accommodate the widest possible spectrum of those who would use them—regardless of age or ability. A transgenerational house:
It does so by integrating human-sensitive architecture, appliances, fixtures, products and communication systems designed for safety, comfort, convenience, accessibility, clean-ability, adjust-ability, ease of use, and bodily fit—transgenerational features that neutralize the aging process. Shouldn't the kitchen, dining area, bath, laundry—or a potato peeler—be as readily used by a child with a sprained ankle, an octogenarian with an arthritic spine, or a pregnant thirty-something housewife with poor eyesight? We think so!
The Project's GoalsOur transgenerational house project has three goals:
House DescriptionBased on the premise that accessible, "universal" housing need not look "institutional" nor imply "aging," the design of this transgenerational house emphasizes livability over raw square footage. The transgenerational house features a wide range of cutting-edge architectural components, appliances, products and fixtures. All are designed to accommodate the widest range of ages and abilities—the essence of transgenerational design. The house is built on an acre+ lot in Placitas, New Mexico, an upscale residental community. its design is upbeat, contemporary, and attractive to young as well as older residents. Its major areas open onto an accessible central courtyard "oasis" creating an interplay of indoor and outdoor living. The site features an elevated plateau with southwestern vegetation and scattered juniper trees. It commands a dramatic view of the Sandia Mountains and a sweeping horizon of mesas and plains beyond the Rio Grande river.
The Design ProgramPrior to the design phase, we prepared a 12-page design program outlining the project's needs, desires and requirements. It included such objectives as:
The program also included such "green" and environmentally sustainable principles as:
We included these principles to not only preserve health, energy, and resources, but to also simplify the interactive activities of daily living within an inter-generational household.
We can help you design transgenerational environments and household products that are equally attractive and accommodating to users of all ages and abilities.
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