HOME
FOR A LIFETIME
Project Description:
Two new attached homes built and attached to an existing home in Portland,
Oregon.
Purpose
The Home for a Lifetime Project demonstrates an approach to building
homes which is sustainable for the environment and the building occupants
throughout their lives. Few identify the common solutions that are
shared by both of these growing trends. Both demand a holistic
approach to home design and construction.
 To
maintain their independence older adults require access to public transportation
and close proximity to goods and services. These amenities are found
in urban areas. However, the majority of older homes are not wheelchair
or walker accessible. Attached housing or row houses appear to be the
common solution for in-fill housing to meet the requirements for increased
density in the inner city. However, to our knowledge, there are no local
examples of in-fill housing that are wheelchair accessible.
The Home for a Lifetime places the emphasis on the needs and quality
of life for all those who live there throughout their life span. Thus
older adults will be allowed to age-in-place, to remain in their neighborhoods,
and interact with people of all age groups, rather than being isolated
in a senior community. In a recent AARP poll, 84% of those questioned
expressed a strong desire to remain in intergenerational neighborhoods.
Children and young adults need the wisdom and time that elders have to
offer. Everyone benefits from maintaining these relationships.
Key Issues
Transportation:
Due to diminished vision and reduced reaction time older adults begin
to rely on public transportation, bicycles, electric carts and walking. Therefore,
the use of a private auto is reduced, but requires housing to be located
close to goods, services, and public transportation. This project
is located in the heart of Portland’s Johns Landing area with shops,
restaurants, and bus route 2 blocks away.
Indoor Air Quality: Older adults are particularly
vulnerable to indoor pollutants due to their decreased ability to resist
them, and preexisting respiratory problems. Their conditions are
typically exacerbated due to the amount of time they spend indoors. Also,
tests to establish acceptable standards for indoor air quality are typically
performed on healthy young adults. To protect the health of older
adults, the interior finish materials are non-toxic. Miller Paint’s
No-Fungicide and Low-Biocide paint has been used throughout. The
cabinetry is constructed with Medite II which is no more toxic than solid
wood.
Fresh air intake units with air-to-air heat exchanges are provided in
each unit. The Velux skylights have electronic controls to open
and close the skylights, with an added feature of a rain sensor to accommodate
the Portland weather. In-floor hot water radiant heat provides
a consistent temperature without forced air currents, thus minimizing
floating dust particles.
Solar Access:
In order to provide solar access for each home the long axis of each
house is in the East/West direction with the main living areas focused
to the South. House #2 is located toward the front of the property
in alignment with the front of the existing house #1 and house #3 is
located toward the back of the property. The daylight from the
windows is balanced with daylight from another direction. The second
floor has skylights in all living and bedroom areas.
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle:
Incomes are limited in retirement years. Energy and water conservation
are ways to reduce expenses and protect the environment. The energy
efficient strategies used for this project included construction methods
and materials to save energy through good insulation, solar hot water
and space heating. Daylighting design was utilized to deliver daylight
to all spaces by day and indirect fluorescent lighting illuminates the
spaces at night.
Water consumption is limited with low flow toilets and faucets. The
washer/dryer is combined into one appliance which is energy efficient.
This appliance is accessible for a person using a wheelchair and easy
to use by a person with arthritis since the heavy wet clothes do not
need to be pulled out of the washer and placed in the dryer.
Recycled materials were used wherever possible and when in the best
interest of the residents. The pavers for the walkways and patios
are made from recycled plastic milk bottles. The driveways are
made of Geoblock, a porous paving system made of recycled plastic. Recycling
centers are provided in each home.
Flexibility:
The first floor of each new home is fully accessible and includes a bedroom/bathroom
suite, kitchen, dining, laundry and guest bath. The second floor
provides two additional bedroom/bathroom suites. The privacy
allowed by the three-bedroom/bathroom suites encourages greater flexibility
in living arrangements. For example, older parents may need to
live with their adult children, an older person may have a live-in
caregiver, or single individuals may wish to live together and share
the common spaces, but retain their privacy.
CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS AND AMENITIES
Construction Method:
State of the art wall construction material used promotes energy efficiency
and sound separation. The walls are formed with the Blue Maxx
system, which utilizes polystyrene blocks with a concrete core reinforced
with steel bars. The system is rated with an R-26 insulating
factor and a sound transmission of 53.
Exterior Finish:
Exterior siding is hardi-plank, horizontal lap siding, painted. Architectural
details such as sunbursts, trellises, and scalloped shingles are cast
vinyl. Cantilevered balconies have a steel supporting structure
with metal railings and wood top and handrail.
Roof and Ceiling:
The second floor has a scissors truss system with a 12/12 roof pitch
and a 7/12 ceiling pitch. The ceiling is be insulated to meet
an R-38 rating. Interior ceilings are painted non-toxic sheetrock. The
roofing material is a 40-year life Laminated Premium shingle.
Windows, Skylights and Glass Doors:
Milgard vinyl windows and sliding glass doors are used with a low-e clear
coating and screens. Windows on the first floor are in two parts,
a lower window with a head height of 7'-0" and an upper window
with a head height of 9'-6". The lower windows
have horizontal sliders with grids located between the layers of glass.
The upper windows are stationary and do not have grids.
Operable Velux skylights located on the Northern slope of the roof are
used in all second floor areas. Clerestory relites are used to
maximize the natural light distribution to adjacent rooms.
Doors:
Wood four-panel doors are used for all passage and entry doors. The
finish was either stained or painted depending on the purchasers' preference. Decorative
level handles with a brass finish were used throughout. The sliding
closet doors in bedrooms were mirrored, or not, based on the purchasers
request.
Garage doors are steel with a raised panel detail and insulated to achieve
a 6.4 R value.
Cabinetry:
Bathroom and kitchen cabinetry is made from non-toxic panel material
with a European assembly system for the cases. All drawers and
pullout trays have extension slides. The doors and drawer fronts
are hardwood. Cabinetry is designed to have removable sections
under the sink, cook top, and work counter to accommodate a person
in a wheelchair or sitting on a stool, however, these features are
not readily apparent. All storage is located 10" above the
floor with recessed lighting to light the floor area. Countertops
are plastic laminate with bullnose wood edge.
Kitchen Appliances:
An electric wall oven, gas counter cook top, microwave, and instant hot
water were provided. Each kitchen has a recycling center located
adjacent to the sink area.
Bathrooms:
Shower and tub enclosures have tile surrounds. Tub alcoves are
larger than the tubs to accommodate a tile bench for ease of transfer
from a wheelchair. Showerhead is adjustable in height and may be
removed for hand-held spray. Each bathroom area has a sit-down vanity
area in addition to the sink area. Lighting is placed on each side
of the mirrors. Night-lights to light the floor area are provided
under the cabinetry.
Heating and Ventilating Systems:
Solar hot water systems with natural gas back-up provide domestic hot
water. For House #2 and #3 the first floor has radiant floor
hot water heat supplied by a separate water heater. Total hot
water is 90,000 BTU. All of House #1 and the second floor of
houses #2 and #3 have radiant baseboard hot water heat. Houses
#2 and #3 have fresh air exchanges units. The houses are designed
to be naturally ventilated and insulated by the construction method
and materials. The operable skylights and windows allow for cross
ventilation. The wall system insulates the walls from the sun. The
slab on grade and connecting concrete walls draw from the earth's steady
temperature of 58 degrees. The operable skylights located on
the north side exhaust out the hot air during the summer months. Lightshelves
shade the lower glass sections of the first floor windows.
Lighting:
The daylight and energy efficient lighting of all spaces is designed
to meet the needs of older adults. Indirect light from either
light valances around the perimeter of a space, or pendant fixtures
hanging in the center of a space provide general illumination. The
pendant fixtures have an alabaster surround. The light valances
are metal with a painted finish.
Landscaping:
Each home has a vine-covered trellis or arbor portico with paver walkways
to identify each entry. The arbor provides a plant material separation
between the house and the street. Each home has a private back
yard area with patio and raised planter beds. Easy to maintain
ground cover, flowers, herbs, trees, trellises and pavers are the primary
elements of the outdoor areas Retaining walls are treated wood using
alternating layers of 4x6 and 2x6 Douglas fir with 4x6 posts. The
driveways are a porous pavement system planted with thyme to minimize
runoff, maintain a green front yard area and eliminate the reflected
glare caused by sunlight striking light colored concrete which is painful
to older eyes. The pavers for the walkways and patios are made
from recycled plastic milk bottles. This material has the appearance
of a typical paver, but is much more user-friendly should an older
person or child fall on it.
Special Features:
- Daylight is provided to all areas by strategically located windows
and skylights to enable one to walk through the home without turning
on a light during the day.
- Lightshelves are utilized on the first floor of Houses #2 and #3
to reflect light onto the ceiling and further into the interior space. The
lightshelf is located 7'0" above the floor and is incorporated
into the light valance on the inside of the room. It also projects
out away from the building on the outside to reflect more light and
shade the lower portion of the window. The lightshelf is supported
by Victorian brackets.
- Motion sensors with photocells are incorporated into light switches
to turn lights on and off when needed. Motion sensors connected
to a signal light notify a hearing impaired person when a person approaches
or rings the doorbell or when the phone is ringing. This system
is in place and may be activated when needed.
- The design includes the framing and power requirements for an elevator
in each home, so that it may be added in the future.
- Walls have blocking to provide support for handrails in hallways
and bathing areas, so that they may be added later.
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Center
of Design for an Aging Society