Home builders, taking a cue from aging baby boomers, are rethinking they way they design homes and the principles they are using are also easy to apply to home improvements.

Once considered a threat to the value and marketability of homes, home designs for people who are older and designs for people who have disabilities more and more often incorporate "universal design" techniques that appeal to a large cross section of age groups and to those with a range of physical abilities and special needs.

The third preview of a four-part study "Retirement Housing Forecast" conducted by John Burns Real Estate Consulting Inc. in Irvine, CA says the demand is coming from the nation's 70 to 80 million "baby boomers," people born between the years 1946 and 1964.

Now aged between 38 and 56 years, the baby boomers comprise almost one-third of the nation's population and many of them don't plan to be shipped to conventional retirement communities but will stay put in homes built or retrofitted to meet their needs.

"The AARP (with its online Universal Design Modification center), which almost everyone joins after turning 50 years old, regularly educates its constituents on housing issues. Consumers are learning more about universal design because the AARP is becoming a major proponent of universal design," according to the report.

Burn's report says legislation in some areas is being drafted to mandate that builders use universal design concepts but many builders already incorporate the techniques in California, Georgia, Florida, Nevada and other locations with larger baby boomer concentrations.

Universal Design isn't new. It's the work of Ronald L. Mace, an architect and wheelchair user who helped found the Raleigh, NC-based Center for Universal Design at North Carolina State University.

In the 1970s, Mace and others developed seven Universal Design Principles that can be applied to both new and existing homes to broaden a structure's accessibility, usability and safety for all household members from kids to retired adults and people with disabilities.

The seven principles are equitable use; flexibility; simple and intuitive; perceptible information; tolerance for error; low physical effort; and size and space for approach and use.

According to the principles, universal design should

Compensate for a reduced range of motion. Electrical switches and thermostats no higher than 48 inches above the floor and electrical outlets no lower than 27 inches puts them within reach of virtually anyone. Likewise, the use of Lazy Susans, rolling carts under counters, pull-out shelves with cut-out bowl holders and height-adjustable cabinets and closet shelves makes more items accessible.

Increased accessibility also comes with using bathroom and kitchen sitting stools, installing fold down stools in the shower, cutting-out spaces under counters and sinks and adding grab bars to the bathroom. Also, vary the height of counter tops to place some counter space within reach of all household members sitting or standing.

Compensate for reduced strength. Adjusting the tension to assist with opening and closing storm, screen and cabinet doors helps make life easier for weaker individuals. Likewise, placing rolling storage carts under counters, installing C- or D-shaped loop handles on drawers and cabinets, using easy-gliding hardware for drawers and using sink and bathroom spray attachments with extra-long hoses compensates for the reduced strength of the old and young alike.

Assist mobility and agility. Berms, ramps, wider doorways with lower thresholds, swing-clear door hinges, levered handles, sidewalk curb cut outs, high-density, low-pile carpeting, ground floor bed and bathrooms, roll-in showers and hand-held showers all help anyone with reduced mobility and agility better navigate the home and use its features.

Help with balance and coordination. Secure the corners and edges of area rugs and remove throw rugs. Install extended dual handrails and use lowered beds and raised chairs and toilet seats. Secure support objects near chairs, toilets, and beds. Strategically place handles on counter tops and install enhanced lighting, all to minimize problems with balance and coordination.

"The aging Baby Boomers will continue to redefine new home design. They want an easy living home that an Olympic athlete would also enjoy," according to the report.

Published: June 27, 2003

Use of this article without permission is a violation of federal copyright laws.

A journalist for 35-years, Broderick Perkins parlayed an old-school daily newspaper career into a digital news service offering editorial content and consulting services. Perkins' San Jose, CA-based DeadlineNews Group includes the flagship news site, DeadlineNews.Com, offering real estate, personal finance and consumer journalism, and a backshop, the Deadline Newsroom.