Univeral Design
Heartland Builders received the 2005 Zerostep Visionary Award from Disability Advocates of Kent County for their commitment to incorporating Universal Design in their homes.
Heartland Builders, a new home Builder in West Michigan, is a strong advocate of Universal Design principles and one of the few builders in West Michigan actively promoting these progressive standards in home design. An outgrowth of the barrier-free movement, the goal of Universal Design is to build a beautiful, new home in the Grand Rapids completely accessible home where the barrier-free features are creatively integrated and fairly unnoticeable. A home that welcomes people of all physical abilities without an “institutional” look or feel to it.
Universal design allows a homeowner to continue living in their home as their physical abilities change over time. So you will never be forced out of your home by a disability. It also means you can host gatherings with family and friends regardless of the physical challenges your guests may face.
It typically costs less than $1,000 to integrate universal design into the average new home. Most of these universal design features are simple changes, such as wider hallways and doorways, lever-type handles, and rocker-type electrical switches. With a little creativity, this can be done without drastically altering the original home plan. The added spaciousness and easy-to-use features of universal design are a benefit to everyone and simply make a home more comfortable and enjoyable to live in.
Click here to see a working floor plan of a Universal Design home.
To incorporate Universal Design features into your home plan, or to learn more about this beneficial concept in home design, just Ask Rich.
