Adjustable height counters

While the King family probably does not need this product, I have a classmate who is redesigning the same home for two clients with two very different heights - the husband is 6'2 and the wife is 5'1. You can imagine (as can I since I'm 5'2) that the industry standard counter height of 36" would be a challenge for both of these individuals, and of course for a household where someone is in a wheelchair. Comfortable counter height is based on the individual and exists three inches below the elbow.

So, the obvious choice is to vary the height of the counter tops so each person has a work surface. But what about places like the cook top or a sink?

Voila! Counters on a lift that can accommodate both important stations.

Initial Presentation

My initial presentation about recommendations for the King Family remodel was last night and went well (I think!). A few additional products/concepts were discussed that I should note:

• Anti slam devices for doors: This will prohibit Steve from slamming doors and also lessen the door closing noises that he may have issues with.
• Self-closing door slides should be installed on the cabinets to ensure that they close quietly.
• Shower/bath controls should be set within easy reach of an assistant if Steve needs help bathing.

Next week in class we will interview 'the client' and we have been given some preliminary information on the family and their wants/needs. I am working on additional questions, mostly pertaining to how Steve currently uses the kitchen, how they hope he will be able to use the kitchen and what they might think would help him. I also have questions about his Autism and what challenges in particular he faces.

Two weeks from now we will then present our products the the class so I am already looking at things like :

• Flooring - Most likely a cork or sheet vinyl as they are both softer than stone/wood and easy to clean. The benefit of cork is that it is both antimicrobial and muffled sound. The benefit of a sheet vinyl is that it will be more durable and easy to clean.
• Cabinetry - This family of 5, plus the grandmother as a day time caretaker is going to need a LOT of organization. They are Costco shoppers so storage is key.
• Counter tops - needs to be durable with a matte finish to reduce glare. Normally I'm a little anti Corian, but this may suit the Kings well. I'll be looking at other green options like recycled glass etc as well. The counter top will need a rounded edge for safety.
• Lighting - I'll be looking a a combination of task and ambient lighting, all on dimmers
• Appliances - I've mentioned a lot of the technology I am looking for (safety features, pictures as visual cues, self closing etc) now it's just a matter of finding them. I mentioned in class last night that Miele now has a chip in their Independence refrigerators that when connected to your wi-fi will give you a call on your cell phone to let you know your refrigerator door is ajar! It also diagnoses problems so that instead of an initial diagnostic service call, followed by the actual repair service call when the necessary part is in, all you need is the latter appointment. To someone who worked in the remodeling industry and often had clients waiting three weeks for dryer parts, this is pretty amazing.
• Plumbing - A single lever faucet with clearly labeled hot and cold.

More updates to come!

All Hail the Induction Range

Last night I attended a new product showcase at Yale Appliance. One of the most featured products was the induction cook top. I am particularly drooling over this range model by Viking, but I'm fairly sure that every company that manufactures cook tops has an induction model.

Induction isn't new, it's just recently come back into vogue because of it's energy efficiency. For those of you who are not familiar, induction cooking is fueled by magnetism. Physics was really not my favorite subject in school, so I'll provide you with someone else's explanation (thank you inductionsite.com):

How Induction Cooking Works:

1. The element's electronics power a coil that produces a high-frequency electromagnetic field.

2. That field penetrates the metal of the ferrous (magnetic-material) cooking vessel and sets up a circulating electric current, which generates heat.

3. The heat generated in the cooking vessel is transferred to the vessel's contents.

4. Nothing outside the vessel is affected by the field--as soon as the vessel is removed from the element, or the element turned off, heat generation stops.

Most home-chefs will tell you that they absolutely NEED a gas stove to cook on - electric takes way too much time to heat up and it's tough to regulate the heat. If you're buying a home with an electric stove, and there is no gas hookup, installing an induction cook top may be a money saving option for you to get the same cooking abilities you would have on a gas range, without the expense of having to pay for the gas hookup to your home.

So I've touched on why to buy induction over electric, but if you have a gas range/cook top, why switch to induction? Several reasons:

1. Induction uses about 40% of the energy that gas cooking uses. That's better for the environment and lighter on your wallet.
2. Induction does not create any heat, so your kitchen stays cooler.
3. Safety-wise induction is a clear winner. No chance of burning hands and even better, the 'burners' only work when they sense a magnetic charge. No magnetic charge and they automatically turn off. This is great for clients with memory challenges (My parents and I noted that most assisted living homes only have the dreary microwave as a means to cook!), curious children etc. (This is also great for people like me who have, on occasion, turned the gas down super low and then forgotten it was on, thereby setting off the CO3 detector. Cough.)
4. It was pointed our last night that without the gas burners, clients will be able to reduce the size/power of the ventilation system.

For all of it's benefits, and most especially the safety aspects, I will be recommending an induction cook top for the King family.

Additions!

Thanks go out to twitter friend @HackLaSalle for his helpful suggestions in making the kitchen and bath safer places:

• If a tub is the only bathing option, opt for a tub that has a built in non-slip feature (I'm still looking for one - if you have suggestions, email me!) . If you're not replacing the tub, you have two options: you can buy non-slip material, but you run the risk of it being peeled off, or you can use a treatment such as this one to chemically change the surface of the tub.
• Thermostatic valves are great as you can set the temperature of your bath water to say 72 degrees and you don't have to sit and wait for the water to heat up - it comes out at 72 on demand. This would reduce the risk of scalding, although pretty much all fixtures these days are anti-scald.
• In the kitchen, picture labels for drawers/cabinets are extremely helpful. For example in the King family, if Marilyn wanted to involve Steve in the cooking process, she could ask for a pan and by looking at the pictures, Steve would know where to find it. This concept could also be used in the bath vanity, or on a dresser in the bedroom, etc.

Some sources for design & Autism

Someone sent me this link to a segment on the Today Show after a few posts on twitter looking for help:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

The designer, Deborah DiMare has a great website and links to several articles she has written:

http://www.dimaredesign.com/index.html

Although this article is older, I thought it was another great source: http://www.informedesign.umn.edu/_news/apr_v06r-pr.pdf

The Challenge

Me: A third year kitchen & bath design student, currently enrolled in my elective course on Universal Design.

The Challenge: To redesign a kitchen and bath (as well as other necessary areas) on a New England Cape to work better for a (fictional) family of 5.

The Family: The Kings: Fred & Marilyn are in their mid thirties. A banker and a teacher respectively, the seem to only find time for exercise on the weekends. Both are described as 30 lbs overweight. Don is 16 and an avid mountain biker currently nursing a broken leg. Grace, age 16, is the athlete of the family, participating in several sports. The youngest, Steve, is 12 and has been diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Fred & Marilyn want to age in place, and hope that Steve will be able to live in the house independently when they are gone.

That's all the information I have on the King family so far. The first assignment is to think about their particular design considerations and to form a chart with design concerns and broad solutions (ie, no products, just concepts) to address the concerns.

With Fred & Marilyn, there is not a whole lot of information to pursue a whole lot of concerns/solutions. They are in their 30's, but anytime you take on a remodel, you should plan ahead for the future as well. F&M will probably remodel again in the next 25 years, but simple things like raising the dishwasher 6-9 inches off the floor, makes loading and unloading the dishwasher less of a bending/stretching chore. Separate cooking appliances (range and wall oven) also accomplish this goal. In the bathroom, using a comfort height toilet and installing a 17-19" bench in the shower along with appropriate grab bars will make sure that both appointments will work for them well into their golden years.

For the older teens, I concentrated on accessibility in case of injury. Making sure there is adequate space to maneuver in the kitchen and bath are key. Doorways should be 34" wide to accommodate mobility aids. A wheelchair requires 60" of clear floor space to turn, but many homeowners (especially in New England!) don't have this kind of space to use. In my case, the downstairs bath is quite small, and Don is on crutches, so I am debating whether or not we'll have to take some real estate from an adjoining den. The raised toilet and shower bench will certainly be to his advantage as well.

The most interesting to research and think about is Steve. I have been all over the web looking for tips/strategies on designing for the Autistic client. I know that colors like pale blue, and pink are soothing, minimal patterns/clutter is important for concentration. Lighting should be soft/diffused. A heavy quilt helps soothe to sleep. The biggest concern in a bath and kitchen however is obviously safety. Locking away prescriptions, knives etc. An induction cooktop will prevent touching a hot stove. Anti-scald features on all faucets. Visual cueing will help foster independence - the popcorn button on the microwave for example. A self closing refrigerator and faucets that have electronic sensors to shut off will prevent over-use. Commercial vinyl flooring now comes in a million gorgeous options - it's soft and durable to all kinds of spills etc.

I found this really interesting article on designing a facility for Autism. I especially love that the designers thought to use as many of the senses as possible. Got me thinking about using smell. We were discussing in class a study in, I believe, Japan, where they were building fire alarms that emitted a horribly bitter smell in order to wake deaf homeowners up (currently all that is available is a flashing strobe light - which I imagine the heaviest sleepers may still sleep through). Clearly most parents are not able to provide the intricate light show as seen in the sensory room, but I think that the light patterns on the ceiling can be done on a smaller (less expensive) scale - I know my niece and nephew have a toy that puts on a light show on their ceiling - perhaps if one came in softer colors (theirs is primary)?

Anyway, I would like to start brainstorming ideas to make the kitchen a more inclusive space for Steve. Parents, I could use some of your input, are there any products or ideas you have implemented in your own homes? I'd love to hear them!

Part of the universal design challenge is making the space work for everyone, so I'm realistically not re-designing a home for Steve, but a home that works for everyone in the family.