July 18, 2012
CAPS Connection
CAPS 101: Aging in Place vs. Universal Design
Industry response has been positive since
NAHB began offering the Universal Design/Build course in 2011, but
the debate continues over where CAPS ends and Universal Design begins. A
recent interview with Bill Owens, CAPS, CGR, at the National Housing Center
helps CAPS professionals, remodelers, and HBA staff distinguish between the two
concepts and choose the right class. Owens, a remodeler from Ohio, also teaches
CAPS and Universal Design/Build classes nationwide.
Universal design augments traditional design, the use of
which offers comfort, convenience and ease of use.
CAPS remodeling usually targets a specific need whether it is
the aging marketplace or individuals requiring home modifications.
Aging-in-Place |
Universal Design |
|
Marketed to aging home owners and those with requiring specific
home modifications |
Marketed to all home owners, regardless of age or ability |
| Targets a specific need or tailored towards an individual’s ability | Targets the ease of use for all users of the home |
| Most common in remodeling | Most common in custom and even some production building; Universal design in remodeling is limited to specific areas of home being updated |
| Design is convenient and comfortable but modifications may be noticeable | Design is convenient and comfortable but transparent (anything but ADA) |
Universal design is useful to meet the needs of many, from a multigenerational family to first time home owners. It is also becoming more popular among clients of custom and even some production builders as a way of meeting current and future needs.
With low cost at the top of clients’ wish lists, the many
add-ons offered by universal design may seem like an unnecessary expense at
first. But as Owens noted, different price points will emerge as universal
design becomes more common.
Owens said, “Universal design is about aesthetics as well as
affordability. Success is where you walk in the house and [the universal design
elements] are transparent.”
An additional tenet of universal design is adaptability.
While aging-in-place remodeling may call for grab bar installation in bathrooms
based on need, universal design would include blocking inside the walls so that
a grab bar can be easily added at a future date.
The current CAPS courses do not focus much on the aesthetic
value of home modifications but with experience successful CAPS contractors
learn to balance budget, function and looks. This can be as simple as enlarging
bathrooms or including universal design elements such as choosing counters with
contrasting borders to increase visibility.
Many NAHB members are combining the aging-in-place/CAPS and
universal design approaches within a single home. To accommodate a client’s past
injury, the CAPS remodeler may install grab bars in the bathroom but universal
design is used in the rest of the home to widen hallways for strollers or
relatives who might be wheelchair users.
As universal design becomes a competitive advantage and a new
approach for builders to capitalize on, then its use will become market driven.
“Well done universal design that focuses on aesthetics and affordability has a
broad market appeal,” Owens said.
The most successful approach for many remodelers and builders
is to treat each project as an opportunity to introduce universal design
elements - and not always by name. Building a stepless porch entry for instance
will increase access and convenience without compromising aesthetics or calling
out the feature as an element of universal design.
As for the future of housing, Owens said, “Universal design
is truly a paradigm shift in how we approach design and how we build houses.”
We have been working towards all of our homes to be built with Universal Design for the last 6 + years but explaining what that mean has always been a challenge,
Craig Fairbanks
Craig@CraigtheBuilder.com
