During the last year, our homes held our sequestered world in spaces designed for pre-pandemic days. The idea of remodeling took on an urgency that could not be realized while the lockdown kept people apart. As our lives return to what some have dubbed the “new-normal,” the desire to redesign our home environments remains strong
Many of us will need to consider making wheelchair retrofits to our homes if we plan to remain in them as we age. According to a 2014 U.S. Census Bureau report, about 10 million people – 66.5 percent of the country’s population over age 65 – have difficulty walking. The number climbs with age, and
As it turns out, you need both, for different reasons. If you are considering remodeling or adding an addition to your home, your architect can tell you what type of fire safe material is best for your specific building design and location. But can they help you with a fire safe landscape design? Marin, Sonoma
Let's talk about housewide retrofits for aging in place – those items you’ll want to take care of around your entire home to make it ready for a time when you or a family member may have physical disabilities associated with aging. This week, we’ll cover a few simple items that can be accomplished in
I recently ran across this article from the June 2020 issue of Dwell outlining how visionary builder Joseph Eichler fought housing discrimination in his developments. Eichler was not unfamiliar with housing discrimination; at the time, there were developers of suburban communities who refused to sell homes to the Jewish middle class. He believed, however, that if
With all the praise and enthusiasm for Accessory Dwelling Units today, you might be surprised by their history. Commonly referred to as in-law units or granny flats by some and infill apartments by affordable housing advocates, they were once highly restricted and outright illegal in many municipalities. In 2017 a California law (AB68) was enacted
In her 2016 TED Talk, disability rights advocate Elise Roy said: The unique experiences people with disabilities have is going to be what helps us make and design a better world for everyone. The concept Roy describes is known as universal design, an idea wherein designers strive to create environments that empower all people to
This post first ran in 2019. With the drought, the 2021 wildfire season in California is set to be one of the riskiest in years, and it’s a sad fact of life that we all need to be prepared in case we get the unwelcome message that a fire is heading our way. As an
A December 18, 2018, article in the the New York Times asked a question that I've been asking for three decades: “Where Are All the Female Architects?” A few important points from the article: Until 1972 (and Title IX), most U.S. architecture schools didn’t admit women. Currently, half of all American architecture school graduates are
Finishing your building project is definitely time for celebration. You’ve been through all the work, expense and emotion that any major project entails, so when the final nail has been hammered in and the last of the paint has dried, give yourself a well-deserved pat on the back. But before you pop the champagne and
