The Faid House

ACCESSIBLE ARCHITECTURE: BEYOND THE RAMP – OCTOBER 2016
The design of the Faid home was never compromised by the desire to make it more inclusive to as
many people as possible. As architects, we are trained to find creative solutions to design problems.
Making universal design beautiful is our challenge. Architects and designers have no reason to fear
their design options will be limited by accessibility. Instead, inclusive design contributes value and
meaning to any design methodology.
We have been talking about accessible housing for almost fifty years, but I think our aging
population will be what finally pushes us to get it done. Baby Boomers, like the Faids, actually have
the money and the influence to make things happen. They will not just accept that nursing homes
are part of their future. They will demand something different.
Accessible design need not compromise a designer’s approach to design but rather becomes an
element in every designer’s approach. The Faids home was guided by principles of site, light, and
views. Equally important was visitability, adaptability, and accessibility. Nor is sustainability and
energy efficiency left out of consideration. With flexible spaces and accessible designed details, the
Faids home is a good fit over the family’s lifecycle, which can later appeal to a wider range of
potential buyers, when the time is right to sell. Even the second floor deck, overlooking the leafy
Mill Creek Ravine has proven accessible by users in wheelchairs.
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