Case Study • Pre-Construction Design Review
Planning for Care Before the Walls Close
A virtual, two-phase aging-in-place design review of a home renovation in Maryland.
The Result
What Came Out of It
One floor plan change was adopted before construction, and framing-stage decisions were identified before framing began. Specifications went to the owners, architect, designer, and builder, organized by when each decision had to be made.
- 2phases
- 1floor plan change adopted
- 3construction stages sequenced
The Project
Could the Suite Carry Two People Through Changing Needs?
A family renovating a three-level home planned a two-bedroom in-law suite on the lower level. Their question: could the suite support two people through changing needs, from wheelchair use to full bedside care with lift-assisted transfers, without renovating again later?
We reviewed the drawings virtually, guided by the seven Principles of Universal Design and the national accessibility standard (ICC A117.1).
What the Review Addressed
Four Decisions Caught Before Framing
Floor Plan Change, Adopted
The mud room and half bath were swapped, grouping the bath with the laundry and freeing a main-level room for future vertical access.
Vertical Access
When a revision removed the lift shaft, we flagged that the suite would connect by stairs only.
Emergency Egress
A wheelchair user on the lower level needs an exit that doesn’t depend on stairs. We prioritized this as life safety.
Radiant Floor Build-Up
Heated floors add height that can create a step at doorways and the shower.
Universal Design
Universal Design Principles Applied
- Equitable use: Feels like an apartment, not a hospital room.
- Flexibility: Height-adjustable vanity, desk, and counter.
- Simple and intuitive: Lever handles, and one mud room, bath, and laundry zone.
- Perceptible information: Night path lighting from bed to bathroom.
- Tolerance for error: Anti-scald protection and a floor-reachable emergency cord.
- Low physical effort: Ceiling lift blocking from bed to bathroom.
- Size and space: Roll-in shower, 42 inch halls, wide doorways.
Why It Matters
The Least Expensive Time Is Before the Walls Close
For Homeowners
The least expensive time to plan for aging in place is before the walls close. Decisions that are irreversible later were made while they were still easy.
For Builders, Architects, and Designers
Specifications are dimensioned and sequenced by pre-framing, rough-in, and finish, so nothing is left to guesswork on site.
Plan excerpts used with the architect’s permission. Published with client permission. Recommendations are specific to this project and are not a substitute for an individual assessment.
Building or Renovating?
Bring In a Clinical Review Before Framing
Builders, architects, and designers can bring in a clinical aging-in-place review before framing, while the decisions that matter most still cost the least.