Houzz Tours
Houzz Tour: Universal Design in San Francisco Home
Skylights, grab bars, expanded doorways and more increase safety and accessibility in this Northern California home
For general contractor Jeff Kann, universal design goes beyond outfitting the space for wheelchairs. It's about letting people participate in family and community life for much, much longer. Sound universal design avoids premature moves and creates sustainable and safer spaces, she says: "It's about making the living spaces easier and safer for all ages."
This remodel was conceived to create a comfortable and expanded living space on the first level of a two-story home in San Francisco's Sunset district, creating an option to avoid the use of stairs entirely as the clients grow older. In the meantime, the homeowners can use the renovated first level now as a guest suite for visiting family and friends.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: An active retired couple
Location: San Francisco
Size: 2,100 square feet
That's interesting: The house was part of a housing project completed from the early 1920s through 1950 using a production technique modeled on Ford assembly lines.
This remodel was conceived to create a comfortable and expanded living space on the first level of a two-story home in San Francisco's Sunset district, creating an option to avoid the use of stairs entirely as the clients grow older. In the meantime, the homeowners can use the renovated first level now as a guest suite for visiting family and friends.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: An active retired couple
Location: San Francisco
Size: 2,100 square feet
That's interesting: The house was part of a housing project completed from the early 1920s through 1950 using a production technique modeled on Ford assembly lines.
From the outside, this Sunset district home appears to be a typical home built on a 25-foot by 120-foot lot by either Henry Doelger or the Gellert brothers — as were most homes in the city between 1920 to 1950. But inside, the active homeowners have renovated with the intention of living out their lives here, and perhaps giving the house a second life as a multigenerational home for part of the year.
"My clients know that many aging baby boomers won't end up in a wheelchair, but it doesn't mean that they won't need assistance at some point," says Kann.
The design and build contractor first addressed the ease-of-use issues by making the hallways and doorways larger; doorways were reconfigured at 36 inches to allow clearance for any assistive devices. Having larger hallways and doorways also reduces accidents, which Kann points out could also benefit parents carrying babies and toddlers.
Kann addressed the other issue of letting light into the first-level space by using multiple wide, narrow windows along the upper portion of the wall (this picture), installing a skylight over the staircase and using plenty of LED lights.
The design and build contractor first addressed the ease-of-use issues by making the hallways and doorways larger; doorways were reconfigured at 36 inches to allow clearance for any assistive devices. Having larger hallways and doorways also reduces accidents, which Kann points out could also benefit parents carrying babies and toddlers.
Kann addressed the other issue of letting light into the first-level space by using multiple wide, narrow windows along the upper portion of the wall (this picture), installing a skylight over the staircase and using plenty of LED lights.
Universal design features allow the first-level bathroom to work for anyone: a child, a teenager, an adult and anyone with mobility issues. A number of features make the space safe and comfortable: a barrier-free shower; a shower door that swings both in and out, making it easier for a caregiver to assist; and enough room for getting around with a wheelchair or a walker.
Kann installed all lever-type door fixtures and plumbing for ease of use.
A curbless shower with a trench drain makes the zero-threshold bathroom and shower area safer; the homeowners don't have to step over a threshold or risk tripping over a sill.
The bathroom floors are heated using a Nuheat radiant floor-heating mat and a programmable thermostat.
Kitchen cabinets containing food items are 15 inches above the countertop, at least 3 inches lower than the standard, for easier access. Overhead lighting and the light over the bar area were improved to address safety issues; task lighting under the cabinets illuminates the sink space, making it safer for the clients to prepare and handle food.
Kann modified the connecting stairs from the upper level to reduce their steepness and slope, added better lighting with skylights and artificial lighting, and installed a railing. The homeowners are very active and have no plans of installing a wheelchair lift on the stairs. "Again, [the additions] are part of a universal design approach that benefits all ages," says Kann.
Kann opened up the limited mobility space in the laundry area by relocating the wall toward the family room from the laundry room to create enough space to walk around the dryer, even with the door open.
Kann's clients could very well remain active and mobile for a long time, without ever needing to use or live on the first floor. But by incorporating universal design into their home, Kann stresses, they've improved the home's resale value, planned for possible future needs for themselves and customized their home to accommodate different lifestyles and life cycles.
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Bathroom Safety Features That Support Your Style