Tour Northeast DC Home Transformed with State-of-the-Art Universal Design
By: States: District of Columbia | Source: AARP.org
AARP is offering public tours of the Andrus House to provide builders, architects and DC residents with concrete examples of how to use universal design features to make a home suitable for all residents—young and old. The tour will highlight a range of ways, some inexpensive and easy and some more complex, to update homes and better accommodate everyone. Incorporating just one or two features could make a real difference. For more information on Andrus House features, schedule a tour or stop by for a visit.
Tour Schedule
June 12, 13, 14, 19, 20 and 21 between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.
AARP Andrus House
2635 18th St. NE, Washington DC
(corner of l8th & Evarts Street)
If you would like to tour the house, please call (202) 434-7715 to RSVP and leave your name, phone number and the date you’d like to come.
Below are the organizations that made generous donations of time, resources, expertise and products to this effort. We are grateful for those contributions, without which the AARP Andrus House could never have been completed.
• The District of Columbia government (www.dc.gov/) made this project possible by allocating the property and more than $200,000 for construction costs, and the DC Office on Aging (http://dcoa.dc.gov/dcoa/site/default.asp) supported us every step of the way.
• Christian Communities Group Homes (www.esm.org/ccgh/)–a non-profit service of Episcopal Senior Ministries (www.esm.org/), manages the home, served as a consultant to the project from its inception to completion and is responsible for identifying and selecting residents who will live in the home.
• Clark Construction Group, LLC, (www.clarkconstruction.com) the same company that built the new Washington Nationals baseball stadium, not only remodeled the kitchen using universal design principles, but also converted the garage into a fully-accessible bedroom, laundry room, and bath. Their collaboration came at the request of Rebuilding Together of Washington, DC.
• Rebuilding Together of Washington, DC (www.rebuildingtogetherdc.org/) provided invaluable support and guidance on the local building industry and put us in touch with the right people.
• The University of Maryland student chapter of the American Institute of Architecture Students Freedom By Design Program (www.aias.org/advocacy_service/freedom_by_design.php) volunteered their time to help with the design of the garage conversion, encompassing the accessible bedroom, laundry room, and bath. Architect Michael Graves (www.michaelgraves.com/), who uses a wheelchair himself, mentored the students and shared his valuable insights.
• Reico Kitchen & Bath (www.reico.com) donated cabinets for the kitchen.
• General Electric (www.ge.com/), through Appliance Distributors Unlimited, donated universal design kitchen appliances and a universal design front loading washer/dryer with pedestal.
• Holt Jordan of Jordan Honeyman Landscape Architecture, LLC (www.jordanhoneyman.com), donated landscape design and construction administrative services for the residence's grounds improvement project that integrates an existing ramp into the larger landscape scheme and creates functional 'ambient' spaces for the facility's residents.
• KC Company (www.kc-pella.com), the local distributor for Pella Windows, donated windows for the converted garage.
• The Washington Architectural Foundation (www.wafonline.org) provided an architect from the SK&I Architectural Design Group (www.skiarch.com/) who served as a general consultant to the project and redesigned the kitchen and upstairs bathroom.
• Columbia Lighthouse for the Blind (www.clb.org) donated household items for the visually impaired.
• Bedco (www.bedcomobility.com/) donated and installed a Stannah Stairlift (www.stannah.com) for the house.
• OldCastle Architectural Products (www.oldcastle.com/) provided pavers for the new walkway and front patio.
• Jose Carlotta of JMC Masonry, Inc., provided labor to lay the walkway and patio pavers.
• Evergro Landscaping, Inc. (www.evergrolandscaping.com/) provided labor to plant the new trees, shrubs and flowering ground covers.
• Shemin Nurseries, Inc. (www.shemin.net/prodwebsite/home.nsf) donated an edging system for the new walkway.
• Johnson’s Nurseries and Garden Center (www.johnsonsflorists.com/) provided a gift card for supplemental plants.
• Jack T. Irwin Stone, Inc. (www.irwinstone.com), provided stone dust needed for construction of the walkway and patio.
• Truland Systems Corporation (www.truland.com) did electrical installation throughout the house.
• Shapiro & Duncan Mechanical Contractors (www.shapiroandduncan.com) provided plumbing services.
• Pierce Associates (www.pai.us) donated the materials and services to install heating and air conditioning in the converted garage.
• Capital Sprinkler Contracting, Inc. donated labor and materials to extend the existing sprinkler system to the converted garage.
• CB Flooring (www.cbflooring.com) donated wood flooring for the house.
• National Commercial Flooring (www.ncffloors.com) donated tile flooring for the house.
• Maryland Applicators, Inc. donated drywall.
• A&M Drywall Constructions, Inc. (www.amdrywall.com), installed the drywall.
• One World Ventures (www.oneworldventures.com) donated the kitchen countertops.
• Country Casual, Inc. (www.countrycasual.com) donated a new garden swing.
• Dimensional Tile installed ceramic tile in the new accessible bathroom and in the upstairs bath as well.
• Delta Painting & Wallcovering donated painting materials and services.
• Sun Control (www.suncontrolsystems.com) donated miniblinds for all of the windows in the house.
• Georgetown Smith & Hawken (www.smithandhawken.com) donated lawn furniture.
Related Articles
Universal Design Features of the AARP Andrus House
http://www.aarp.org/states/dc/articles/universal_design_features_of_the_aarp_andrus_house.html
Universal design is a concept that aims to make spaces accessible for all people, regardless of age or physical ability. Learn more about upgrades incorporated in the AARP Andrus House that could make your own home safer, more comfortable and more user-friendly.
Making a User-Friendly Home for One and All Home Makeover
http://bulletin.aarp.org/yourworld/yourhome/articles/testing_home_makeover.html
Making a home safe and comfortable for the whole family, from children to grandparents, doesn’t have to mean a budget-breaking renovation. Take a virtual tour to see the work done by a family of five that made their house an easier place to live for everyone.
Home Design
http://www.aarp.org/families/home_design
Whether you live in a house or an apartment, AARP has a wide array of information about how you can make your living space more accessible. Learn about universal design, working with a Certified Aging in Place Specialist, or room-by-room updates for your home with a visit to our Home Design website.
Other Resources
Center for Universal Design (CUD)
http://design.ncsu.edu/cud/
The CUD is a national information, technical assistance, and research center that evaluates, develops, and promotes accessible and universal design in housing, commercial and public facilities, outdoor environments, and products.
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