As designers of custom homes, we are dedicated to creating solutions that improve our clients’ lives, whatever their needs may be. Aesthetics and accessibility should work together to create a home that makes life better. That was the standard our team applied when designing a recently completed home in Iowa where accessibility was a prime concern.
Un líder en el campo
When thinking about accessible buildings and universal design—the principle that an environment should be usable by the largest possible number of people—architect miguel tumbas (1934-2015) is an inspiration. Known for his prominent buildings and product designs, and as one of the “New York Five,” Graves emerged as a leading voice for universal design after becoming paralyzed from the waist down in 2003. Frustrated with the aesthetic and practical qualities of the spaces he occupied as a person with a disability, he spent his later years designing hospitals and rehab facilities.
“I believe well-designed places and objects can actually improve healing, while poor design can inhibit it,” he dicho el poste de washington en 2010.
Movimiento Accesible
We share Graves’s belief that when a home combines accessibility with aesthetics, life will be better for the people who live there. In fact, our design language promotes accessibility, and this Iowa project demonstrates how.
Por ejemplo, creemos en la eliminación de umbrales para transiciones suaves entre el interior y el exterior. Y las viviendas de Turkel Design cuentan con generosas zonas de circulación, con espacios aptos para el descanso y la habitación, no solo de paso.
Este vestíbulo de umbral cero, con un espacio para guardar sillas de ruedas, es tan abierto y lleno de luz como el resto de la casa.
Gabinetes accesibles
Custom cabinetry played a significant role in providing accessible solutions that enhance the home’s aesthetic appeal—the warm wood casework throughout is a Turkel Design trademark. Throughout the kitchen, cabinets were designed at a reachable height for a wheelchair user, with accessible pulls of a shape that’s easy to grasp, while the multi-level island provides work surfaces for all users.
En su El Correo de Washington interview, Michael Graves recalled his own experiences when he said that “an accessible bathroom can give a patient a sense of normalcy and motivation.”
With these words in mind, we paid particular attention to the bathrooms in this Iowa house. In the primary bath, this double sink is open below for wheelchair access, and the cabinets adjacent to it have handles at a height reachable from a sitting position. The shower is curbless and equipped with adjustable features. Adjacent to the bath, across a flat threshold, is a laundry room—with low, front-loading appliances.
Del mismo modo, en otro baño, el lavabo de abajo se construye con espacio debajo para acomodar a un usuario de silla de ruedas, con un cajón para almacenamiento al mismo nivel.
Diseño elevado
Debido a que esta es una casa de dos pisos, incluimos un elevador colocado discretamente para el movimiento entre los pisos. También diseñamos regularmente casas de un solo nivel y podemos personalizar los diseños existentes destinados a vivir en un solo nivel.
Todo vuelve a ti
Graves sabía que la empatía es esencial para diseñar espacios que sean accesibles e inspiradores para todos.
At Turkel Design, we apply that empathy to every project, listening to the needs of our clients and ensuring that every detail of their home supports the lifestyle they are looking to create. Regardless of a homeowner’s specific needs, a beautiful, warm, livable home is our goal—a goal achieved, we believe, with this project in Iowa.
Ponerse en contacto
If you’re thinking about building a custom home, Turkel Design can find creative, graceful ways to meet your specific requirements. Please Contáctenos para iniciar la conversación.
