Universal Desgn Moves to Vacation Homes (and a Half-Step Closer to Mainstreaming in the Outdoor Leisure Industry)

On Lion's Head, the livin' is easy
Cottage owners like John and Deb Douma are wise to design their getaway homes with their future needs in mind, experts say

KATHERINE LAIDLAW

Special to The Globe and Mail

May 16, 2008

On the shores of Georgian Bay, in the village of Lion's Head, stands a two-storey cottage with tan siding, wooden front steps and a red door. A stroll around back in the early morning hours - with the waves lapping at the shore and the sun rising over the bay - reveals a basement walkout. In short, the cottage looks much like many others along the water.

Once you step inside, you see that the open-concept main floor - with 1,200 square feet - includes the master bedroom and ensuite bathroom. And the cottage's two main-floor bathrooms have been enlarged so that lifts and handles can be installed, while the doorways are extra wide.

"You could manoeuvre around in [the two bathrooms] if you were in a wheelchair," says John Douma, 49, who owns the house with his wife, Deb, 48. "[The doorways] are wide enough that you could go through them with a wheelchair."

The Brampton couple began researching different design options when they bought the plot of land on the Bruce Peninsula nine years ago. Accessibility eventually became the driving factor behind their cottage's design.

"Even though we're young, we thought if it were a place we would retire to some day, it would be a smart move to have the main level contained," says Mr. Douma.

The 500-square-foot second level, with two bedrooms and a bathroom, is intended for the use of the couple's children and grandchildren. (The basement, at 1,200 square feet, houses the furnace and is used only for storage.)

The physical site of a cottage is also a major consideration when designing for accessibility. The Douma's property doesn't present any major difficulties, however.

There are three small wooden steps in front that could be easily converted into a ramp for wheelchair use, Mr. Douma says.

The back lot could easily be enjoyed by retirees, wheelchairs or not, he adds. It slopes gently as the property gets closer to the water, and there is a level terrace and rock garden behind the cottage. "There's a flagstone patio with a fire pit and a sitting area on one side," he says. Again, a ramp would make getting to the smooth patio and fire pit in a wheelchair relatively easy.

Both the Douma's builder and a real estate agent they consulted advised the couple to consider their later years in deciding on a design. The agent said greater accessibility would improve resale options if they decided not to retire there.

Mr. Douma says he and his wife sifted through a lot of plans to find the right shape and size for their recreational home, which is about 80 kilometres north of Owen Sound.

He says that building the master suite on the ground floor didn't increase the cost of the building, which was completed in 2005.

That the couple had accessibility requirements for their cottage isn't particularly unusual these days. With population aging, there has been a shift in the design and construction of vacation properties in Canada.

Blair MacKenzie, sales manager at Pan-Abode log home builders, based in Richmond, B.C., says that he asks his clients when he first meets them if they have considered how their cottage might meet their needs when they are older.

"Our primary customers are baby boomers - they're the bulk of the cottage customers," Mr. MacKenzie says. "Definitely people are planning longer. That's part of the process when we talk to them about what they'll use it for."

He says he has seen an increased demand for designs that position the necessities on the main floor for easy access and long-term use.

Mr. MacKenzie lists three basic elements of an accessible cottage. The first is having the master bedroom and, if possible, a second bedroom on the ground floor.

"Couples tend to sleep apart the older they get, so it gives someone the option to change rooms," he explains. "It also gives them an option for guests to sleep on the main floor, particularly friends who would be in the same age group."

A second element is an open-concept design. Combining the kitchen, dining and living areas means less travel through the cottage and simpler communication.

"It allows you not to have to travel throughout the house to talk to somebody," Mr. MacKenzie points out.

As well, "if somebody had to be in a wheelchair ... you're not dealing with hallways."

The third element: spacious bathrooms with enough room to manoeuvre a wheelchair or install added features for bathtub or toilet use.

"If you ever have to put extra handles or a lift system, you need more space for that."

Wide, easily mountable stairs from the outside to the main floor are also essential.

Tim Goorbarry, a Port Hope-based building consultant with Viceroy Homes, says he's starting to see a demand for an unusual cottage luxury - an elevator.

"In the past two or three years we are starting to see more of a request for that, if [clients] like the idea of keeping bedrooms separate and you build one floor on top of another floor."

He notes that installing an elevator in a cottage (or urban home) isn't necessarily a costly venture. They cost $20,000 to $25,000, he says, noting that the expense of laying the foundation of a sprawling single-storey cottage would be the same as for a two-storey building with an elevator.

"Some people look at it as an additional expense. The truth is ... the cost of the elevator can balance out the [one-storey cottage]."

Mr. Goorbarry also encourages customers to consider accessibility when planning for their future cottage life, but says many people aren't comfortable thinking about potential needs.

"It really doesn't take much change in the planning to make sure your doors are 30, 32, 34 inches wide ... if wheelchair accessibility is a concern," he says.

"[But] to look ahead 20 to 25 years is a long way for a lot of folks."

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