In the post-pandemic things need to change. I am reading articles on new standards for schools, retail, grocery, church, and any other place groups of people might pass through. So each of these have one thing in common – public use doors. So I asked the local hardware expert, Michael Shaner, AHC, CSI, CDT, FDAI with Augusta Steel for some solutions to making doors safer.
So the challenge will be how you can make a no touch door work, not prevent someone with mobility or sight restrictions from safely operating it, and hopefully keep the function intuitive.
The first option I asked Michael about is a low door mounted bracket that you could use your foot to open a swinging door with no latch. It turns out the “StepNPull” already exists. This simple device mounts low on the door and is long enough with a rough edge that you can grab it with your foot and pull open the door. It appears to meet ADA requirements for access, but would not be readily apparent for someone with sight limitations.
Michael mentions that he has also seen attachments added to door hardware making it possible to open the door with an elbow. See the picture of a 3D printed solution.
There is also door hardware that lends itself to this solution more than some. I found this option at Restroom Direct.
Of course there are many motorized solutions, but these tend to be expensive if you don’t already have electricity to the door. There are “keys” that you can carry that look like hooks that can be used to operate some door hardware. I found some options on ETSY that look to be 3D printed. I am sure we are going to see more innovation in this area in the coming months and years as demand for such devices will surely go up.
New home construction and remodels are some of the biggest and most intensive projects homeowners undertake. Construction and remodeling trends change rapidly, and now that 2020 has kicked off a new decade, people are looking to update their homes now more than ever. Today’s homes look nothing like they did 20 years ago.
Gaines Group Architects participated in the survey as one of the most prominent experts in the Home Construction Industry in 2020. Fixr also asked other experts to weigh in on what they think the latest trends in home construction and remodeling are. Their insights can help homeowners and designers alike to strike balance in their home designs and stay ahead of the curve for the years to come.
Some of the key findings include:
Open floor plan and two story homes represent the most popular layouts
Smart homes rank first among the most popular design choices
Most homeowners make accessibility modifications to their home for future personal use
Low energy homes are among the top designs for green construction
Outdoor kitchens are the most popular outdoor living addition to a home
Married couples with children are most likely to both build and invest in outdoor living spaces
Contemporary and modern will be the most common styles used in modular construction
Tight building envelopes will be the most common way to prevent energy transfer on home exteriors
The results were compiled based on 51 subject matter experts’ responses to a series of multiple choice and open-ended questions. To help you better understand the data, our team has organized the answers and edited them for clarity.
Each of the survey participants was selected based on their standing in the home construction industry, their previous professional achievements, their social media reach and influence, and prior industry awards and recognition. The experts all appear on Fixr’s 2020 Home Construction Expert List, and they represent a wide range of expertise in the industry, including construction, design, manufacturing, and publishing.
Gaines Group Architects is a small firm with a big idea – design can build a better community, enhance livability, reduce construction and operation costs, and protect our environment. Design matters. We work hard to understand the best practices in the industry so we can provide our clients with functional, affordable, and beautiful design solutions. We do this through a focus on quality, value, building science, and timeless beauty. Gaines Group Architects is located in Harrisonburg and Charlottesville, Virginia. We serve a wide range of clients from custom homes, renovations, additions, commercial, retail, industrial, ecclesiastical, and non-profits.
Mission statement: Through design we want to build a stronger more vibrant community. We want to design solutions that make positive changes for everyone in our community.
Why we do it: Because we want a better future for our clients, community, and world.
About Fixr:
Fixr is a home improvement resource with the mission of helping consumers make the best remodeling decisions. Fixr provides unbiased, thorough and updated cost guides, price comparisons, and cheat sheets for hundreds of remodeling, installation, and repair projects. When the homeowner is equipped with the necessary knowledge, Fixr helps connect homeowners with the best matching pros in their area to begin their home improvement projects.
With so many spending more time at home these past weeks (again thank you to all those not able to stay home because they are working to save lives and / or keep our communities running) have you found your kitchen needs an upgrade? We have done lots of renovations over the years to create places for cooking, baking, gathering, building relationships, and bonding with family and friends. The kitchen is almost always the heart of a home where activity brings people together.
Taking this kitchen from plain to magnificent was one of my favorite projects we have ever done. The existing kitchen was renovated into a formal dining room and an addition was added that was bright and open for the kitchen and family room. The space certainly became a place for family to enjoy one another and the gathering space for guests.
Understanding the goals for the “life you want to live” is the first step for designing a solution like this one. As an architect I have been trained to hear your goals and translate them through spatial solutions that provide the framework to achieve those goals. If you are thinking that your home does not facilitate the life you want to live, give us a call. We would love to work with you to create your dream home through a dream renovation.
I purchased an existing house this past year and of course got a home inspection by Benjamin Meredith of Building Knowledge prior to closing. He identified a list of things that needed to be adjusted, replaced, fixed, and monitored. As with any older home, it has issues and I certainly understood it would need some maintenance. On the top of the list Ben created for me was the heating and cooling system. The existing system was functioning, but not optimally. It was more than 15 years old (probably more than 20 years old) and nearing the end of its life. The system was using more energy than it should to barely keep up with comfort on moderate days.
We added a WiFi enabled control system that links to my phone allowing tracking and comfort adjustments easily from anywhere. The UV light kills biological contaminants in the air and keeps the house odor free. I am certainly happy to have invested in this heating / cooling system a few months ago that not only keeps my electric bills low and my house comfortable, but now provides knowledge I am doing everything I can to keep everyone as healthy as possible. Clean fresh air inside our homes is a must and this is a way to help achieve that goal.
This system also met Pearl Certification for the HVAC system which could improve resale value of the home. Pearl Certification is a national firm that provides third-party certification of high-performing homes: homes with “performance assets” that make them healthy, safe, comfortable, energy and water efficient.
If you are thinking through upgrades on your home right now, it might be time to consider upgrading your heating / cooling system to one that is efficient, keeps you comfortable, and cleans the air.
We are blessed to work with a lot of really cool people. This is one of my favorite projects that I was able to work on early in my career. This client wanted to upgrade the aesthetics of their home because they loved their neighborhood, but the house was just not what they wanted. So part of the project included an upgrade of a new front porch.
This home had seen some renovations over the years and I am typically a fan of the dark siding. However, in this neighborhood with the mature trees, the low roof line, and dark siding it really did not enhance this house. It blended into the background and really did not cause any emotion. It was, well boring.
We got to work on options while balancing the clients budget. We worked on getting the details just right – for instance the location of the columns is “architecturally correct” something you don’t often see on residential projects. We added larger windows, shutters, changed the siding material and color, upgraded the entry door, replaced the roof shingles, and added a porch to enhance the aesthetic beauty of this ranch house.
While you are safe at home practicing social distancing, think about how you want to upgrade and give us a call. We are glad to have the work and would love to help transform your house into your dream house.
Every now and then an opportunity comes to you that you just cannot pass up. A few years ago the team that organizes Red Wing Music Festival asked us to think about what the permanent stage at Natural Chimney could become. We quickly got to work on the stage upgrade for this amazing festival and beautiful landscape.
We worked hard to understand how the stage would be used. We learned about how the lighting systems would be placed, how bands set up, how sound is controlled. We evaluated the existing structure and determined what could be reused and what needed to be replaced.
We worked with contractors Venture Buildersand Herr & Companyto evaluate systems to achieve the aesthetic goals. This was truly a team effort to hit all the goals.
We love the finished project. If you have a performance space that needs a face lift, give us a call. We can help with that task and would love to be part of your solution.
