After a fire destroyed the Living in Place Institute Idea Home, its president and founder, Louie Delaware, immediately looked to rebuild. Not only because it was his family residence, but also to advance the mission of the LIPI with the latest technology and design thinking.
“As I teach what should be done to design and build accessible, healthy and safe buildings, I wanted to incorporate many of the features and concepts that are presented in the Certified Living In Place Professional training program into the Living In Place Institute Idea Home,” said Delaware, who estimates there are almost 450 living-in-place features in the entire project.
Designing the Living in Place Kitchen
For the 16′ x 15′ kitchen, he enlisted two CMKBDs, Maria Stapperfenne and Barbara Barton, to create an accessible, aesthetic and functional space.
Thoughtful dimensioning plays a central role. Multiple counter heights in the kitchen (31-, 32.5-, 36- and 42-inch) accommodate virtually everyone for working, from a short person to someone who uses a wheelchair or needs to be seated, to an average stature person to a tall individual. Work aisles range from 42 inches wide to a spacious 48 inches.
Cabinet configuration support the living-in-place goals, With the exception of the two units below the sinks that have garbage disposals, and a lazy Susan in a corner unit, all areas below the countertops are drawers, many of which have organizers for silverware, cooking utensils, spices, etc. All have full extension, heavy-duty slides.
Lighting is also key. In conjunction with natural light, targeted LED fixtures on smart dimmers allow those with vision challenges to benefit from improved, customizable task lighting, as well as wayfinding illumination.
Smart tech contributes to the quality performance of the living-in-place kitchen. The faucets are touch-activated, and can dispense a specific amount of water via voice command to a smart speaker.
Sources
Design: Maria Stapperfenne CMKBD, CLIPP & Barbara Barton CMKBD, CLIPP & Colleen Johnson, ASID, CAPS & Louie Delaware BSM, MBA, CLIPP; Photography: Scott Hasson Photography; Cabinets: Tharp Fine Cabinetry; Cabinet Hardware: Jeffrey Alexander; Cabinet Organizers, Pull-Down Shelves: Rev-A-Shelf; Countertops: Cambria, Armani Fine Woodworking; Dishwasher, Induction Cooktop, Microwave, Refrigerator, Freezer, Wall Ovens, Wine Columns & Cooler: SKS; Faucets: Delta; Flooring: Evoke; Lighting: Tresco (LED strips in- and under-cabinet, toekicks), Lotus (cans), Terracotta Designs (chandelier), Metropolitan (chandelier); Paint: Sherwin-Williams; Seating: Amish Furniture Direct; Sinks: Elkay, Premium Copper; Vent: Zephyr; Vent Hood: Murillo Construction
