Transgenerational design: A heart transplant for housing

Abstract

Time and circumstances reshape one's expectations and priorities. Responding to his past research and the realities of the aging process, the author describes why and how he designed and built the first fully accessible house aimed directly at Baby Boomers and beyond. The project offers a vehicle for broadening consumer awareness of, and increasing the demand for, transgenerational housing and household products. This uniquely innovative design neutralizes many restrictive effects of aging, accidents, illness or chronic conditions. It also demonstrates that attractive transgenerational houses can be designed to promote, provide, and extend independent living, remove barriers, offer wider options, supply greater choices, and enhance the quality of life for all - the young, the old, the able, the disabled - without penalty to any group. © 2008 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.