Detail-Oriented
Your guide to Design-Build
To Age in Place or Not: Insights from Design-Build
by Marc Brahaney, February 15th 2025
Making the choice to age in place is a big decision. It likely requires family negotiations, a review of your resources, perhaps discussions with doctors and research into some of the alternatives. Consulting with a design-build firm with relevant experience is a great step toward making your decision and exploring the options to modify your home for the future.
Our Princeton design-build team redesigned this kitchen for wheelchair access and use.
If you’ve made the decision to move forward, let’s evaluate your living space for future comfort and safety. We start by assessing the areas that typically require modifications: bathrooms, entrances, and stairways.
Why are these areas important for older adults?
- Bathrooms – The bathroom can be slippery, small, and full of hard surfaces. For your safety, a designer may focus on wheelchair-accessible doorways, the addition of grab bars, a higher toilet and modifications to the shower (e.g., zero-threshold shower with fold-down seats and adjustable showerhead).
- Wheelchair-Accessibility - A wheelchair ramp may be added to the main entrance or to an entrance adjacent to the garage for easy access. Other parts of the home will also require additional space to maneuver between furniture, around islands and tables, as well as through doorways between rooms.
- Stairs - If a homeowner continues to use the second and third floors of a home, we may recommend installing an elevator or a chair lift. To avoid the stairs completely, converting space on the first floor to a primary suite may be required so that all the amenities a homeowner needs for everyday living can be accessed on one floor.
For some families, aging in place may mean taking in an aging relative. In this case, we work to balance the needs of all age groups living in the home. The architects focus on adding mobility and safety to the shared spaces so old and young alike feel at home.
Whether considering a home renovation for the arrival of an aging relative or considering changes to your own space for the future, a design-build firm has the holistic approach – based on both design experience and construction know-how - to meet your needs.
