A house in Schnecksville, Penn., built by students at the Lehigh Career & Technical Institute (LCTI), is an ''age in place'' home, which is another term for one that incorporated universal design features for older people and people with disabilities, The Allentown Morning Call reports.Some of the LCTI students say what they learned from the project is that most new home projects should include age-in-place features.
''It just makes sense,'' said Casey Lagler, 16, one of more than 300 students who worked on the house over the last two years. ''If you're going to build a house, you may as well build it so people can grow old in it.''
Dan Hittinger, an 18-year-old who worked on the project, said he's already planning to use some of the techniques he learned when he enters the construction business himself.
Their teacher Jim Schray agrees, which is why he pushed for the program's 30th home-building project to have age-in-place construction. The idea was supported by the Lehigh Valley Alliance on Aging and the United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley.
Schray said "this house is one of the school's most innovative to date, but its touches are subtle. Doors open with levers rather than knobs for easy gripping. The shower door slides at floor level so wheelchairs can roll in. Other than a flight of stairs leading to the basement, the house has none. In the kitchen, countertops and cabinets are at waist level, as are the microwave and cutting board. But the house still has a living room, master bedroom and two other bedrooms. It never stands out as 'different.'''
''This is just a nice home,'' Schray said. ''You shouldn't notice anything.''
