by Nancy Mairs
Homebuyers today are searching for homes that are a refuge of safety and comfort. Whether inviting a couple of friends for an intimate dinner or whole gang for a Super Bowl party, most us like to use our homes to entertain. We delight in Welcomeing guests and making them feel comfortable.
Think about the place you live in now. Is it truly hospitable? Can you invite your college roommate to spend the weekend, now that an auto accident has put her in a wheelchair? Can you include Aunt Grace in the Thanksgiving festivities this year since she had to use a walker ever since her hip surgery? And what about the teenager down the street who broke his leg in three places falling off his skateboard? Can you still ask him to come over and program your VCR?
Living in Armory Park del Sol you can!
All the homes here incorporate "universal design", an idea conceived by the late architect Ron Mace who founded and directed The Center for Universal Design at North Carolina State University (www.design.ncsu.edu/cud). In this concept, elements are chosen which, while esthetically pleasing, function for the greatest variety of people. For instance, round doorknobs are useless to a person with limited hand strength, but everyone can use lever handles.
Some of the design features discreetly built into every home at
Armory Park del Sol include:
- Step free
entryways
- Extra
wide hallways
- Three
foot door openings
- Hard Surface
Flooring, Concrete, Wood or Tile
- Bathroom
grab bars
- Roll-
in and walk-in showers
- Dual Shower
Heads with Slide bar
- 6 foot
wide sidewalks
- Extra wide patio access gates
These elements ensure that every home is "visitable" by everyone regardless of physical limitations. Moreover, they increase the safety and comfort of all the occupants. From the day you move in - when the movers maneuver your precious belongings without banging into wall and doorways - you will appreciate the sense of openness. Strollers, shopping carts, and luggage roll in with ease. Bathroom injuries are reduced for all users. And as we age, you won't need to make expensive modifications. They're already here.
It's a home for life!
