The Living In Place Institute Breaks Ground on Idea Home
Ground has been broken in a fire-ravaged neighborhood in Louisville, Colorado on the Living In Place Institute’s Idea Home, which after completion next year will host a series of events and training workshops to promote living-in-place design and building technology.
The Idea Home concept took shape after the home of Louie Delaware, founder and president of The Living In Place Institute, was among 1,084 homes destroyed in the Marshall Wildfire, Dec. 30, 2021. Following the series of events, the Delaware family will move back in.
The March 19 groundbreaking in The Enclave custom home neighborhood drew a crowd of 30 friends and Living In Place Institute supporters, along with coverage from three Denver television news teams.
Unlike the original home, the new design will require no steps to enter from either street or garage, with no thresholds. All other rooms, baths and areas will be equally accessible.
Visitors to the completed home will see similar modifications that work in favor of families facing a broad range of commonplace challenges, including younger families coping with children with autism and other developmental disabilities, and of people dealing with an accident or a cognitive disability.
Features will include halls and doorways designed for walkers and wheelchairs; kitchen and baths with counters and cabinetry designed to accommodate users with disabilities; and lighting, safety and smart-home technologies that eliminate a wide range of accessibility issues and safety risks.
Builder Tim Coonce of Porchfront Homes has been selected for the Idea Home project. Danielian Associates is creating the architecture. Delaware is working with two National Kitchen and Bath Association Certified Master Kitchen and Bath Designers, Maria Stapperfenne and Barbara Barton, each a Certified Living In Place Professional; along with lighting designer Jaye Morrow of Urban Lights; and interior designer Colleen Johnson. Robert August of Northstar Synergies, is directing the promotional and open house activities.
