March, 2004 - The Best TImes - Pege 11
Sunderland House
Univ~rsal
Design-Kansas
CityModel
By Betty Gibb
"Everyone should be so lucky as personal safety and convenience, and , reidy to bnild a home, 'be ,sure that
to live in a Universal Design home," simplicity of design. Universal Design isthe cellter of your
says'DalmarkArchitect Eddie Tapper. Now Tapper wants to get the planning process," he says.
"You know, designers and bnilders word out:, to architects, contractors, , ,If you' reinterestedin Universal
learn to construct houses for generic, prospective home builders, apart:ffient DesIgn, Eddie Tapper would be glad
average people. Unfortunately, most designers, lending officers-any one to talk to you. His phone is (816)
ofusaren'taverage. We're tall, having anything to do with new con- 861-4070, his e~mail:
short, pregnant, three-years old, 95- struction projects. "No matter your eddie@)daimarkgroUl.com.
years'old, in a wheelchair, suffering age aCability level, when you get
with arthritis. Most of us have to
learn to adapt to the house rather than Door-mounted'storage and
itbeing designed to meet our needs." pull-out shelving give the'
The answer, according to Tapper kitchen supurb functionality.
and other Universal Design practitio-
nerS, is homes that fit pretty much ev-
eryon~for1:l).eirwhole lif~dthe
people who come to msit them. '
, To deinonstrate that Universal -
Design does not have to "look handi-
capped accessible or hospital like,"
the Universal Design Housing Net-
work, in cQoperation with the Sun-
derland Foundation, City VIsionMin-
istries, the Kansas City Neigbbor-
hood Aniance, the Kansas City, MO,
Police Department, the American So-
ciety of Interior Designers and others
bnilt a model home. Tapper was its
designer and architect.
The house on 16thStreet in Kan-
sas City, MO, is 1,400 square feet,
three bedrooms, one bath. It features
a vaulted ceiling in the living room and
kitchen area and great walk-in closets
in the bedrooms., One other feature
'that makes it interesting, low!)lainfe-
nanceand energy efficient is thadt'sa
concrete construction (having nothing
to do with Universal Design). The at-
tractive siding and outside trim give
no hint ofits hardened core. The '
construction cost was $130,000.
What makes it a:Universal De~
sign: zero step entry, lever door hard-
ware throughout, rocker light switch-
, es, raised electrical/cable outlets,
raised ftont-Ioading washer and dry-
er, raised dishwasher, lowered chair-
accessible kitchen sink;pull-out '
shelving, wi~-than-norma1door-
ways and halls-C-andmore. '
The house is airy and spacious. It
provides for ease of movement, great
A multi-level kitchenisJand provides flexibility for many users.