Renovated House in NE is Model for Residents, Businesses
Free Tours Available in June
Washington, D.C. – Imagine extra-wide doorways, talking appliances, kitchen cabinets that eliminate the need to bend and reach, and door handles and light switches that make coming home with arms full of packages less stressful. These are just some of the innovations associated with universal design - invisible elements that make homes safer and more user-friendly. Today AARP unveiled a model house in Northeast Washington that exhibits these and many more cutting edge features.
The AARP Andrus House is open to all and will be a dynamic space where local residents, businesses, architects, contractors, re-modelers and policymakers can learn about universal design. It will also serve as a home to six low-income DC residents who are 60 or over. In collaboration with the DC Office on Aging, Christian Communities Group Homes (CCGH) -- a program of Episcopal Senior Ministries (ESM), Clark Construction Group, LLC, Rebuilding Together of Washington, DC, and a host of other contributors, AARP celebrated the grand opening of the Andrus House and welcomed the community to see its top-of-the-line universal design features first-hand.
“What we have built together is a house that Ethel Percy Andrus, the founder of AARP, would be proud of,” said William S. Novelli, Chief Executive Officer of AARP. “What we have built is a place where people of all ages and abilities can thrive in safety and comfort. What we have built is not just a house, but very much a home.”
The AARP Andrus House will be open to the public throughout the month of June. Free tours will run from 10 am to 2 pm on June 12, 13, 14, 19, 20 and 21. To make a reservation, call 202-434-7715. After they end, six seniors will move into the Andrus House and call it home. It will be run by CCGH, which helps local residents age safely and comfortably in their own homes and communities.
“Home is the one place someone should feel safe and secure,” said James McSpadden, Director of CCGH. “The Andrus House will no doubt be a comforting place to six individuals who will benefit tremendously from its universal design elements, but it will also serve as an example for other homeowners in the region. The very simple features in the house can easily and inexpensively be adapted elsewhere.”
“Remodeling this vacant house and turning it into the showcase it is today has been a true learning experience and one that I will continue to draw upon for future projects,” said Kelly Wallace, Vice President of Clark Construction, LLC. “Incorporating elements of universal design into homes and other buildings opens doors for so many people and creates spaces that are truly accessible. I strongly encourage others in the field to explore universal design options in their work. It’s something we will be seeing more of in the future.”
To help local businesses be on the cutting edge of their profession, AARP is joining with the National Association of Home Builders to offer “Certified Aging in Place Specialist” classes in DC that will lead to certification. AARP DC will offer 20 scholarships to local small and minority owned businesses to attend these classes.
“This project is evidence that it takes a village to build a house. The Andrus House exists because of the remarkable commitment and hard work of dozens and dozens of community businesses and organizations,” said AARP President Denise Rolark Barnes. “It took the strength of the community to build this project, and we hope the entire community will come out and enjoy and learn from it.”
The AARP Andrus House commemorates AARP’s 50th anniversary and honors the legacy of its founder, Ethel Percy Andrus, who built a model universal design home in the District in 1961 in conjunction with the first ever White House Conference on Aging. The current AARP Andrus House is located at 2635 18th Street, NE, in Washington, DC.
Continuing the celebration later in the evening, ESM will host the Leadership in Aging Awards Gala, a benefit to support ESM’s cutting edge services and programs and highlight outstanding service to senior citizens in the greater Washington area. Elizabeth Fox, former director of IONA Senior Services and founder of CCGH and Experience Corps, and AARP’s Novelli will be honored with the second annual Leadership in Aging awards.
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AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan membership organization that helps people 50+ have independence, choice and control in ways that are beneficial and affordable to them and society as a whole. There are 90,000 members of AARP in the District of Columbia.