Builders Club Rewards Cleveland July 2021

Page 12 | Builders Club Rewards | bc-test.buildersclub.com News Building with Universal Design Concepts Enables Aging in Place Universal design is the design of products and environments to be usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or special- ized design. People who have different needs can all enjoy the same home, even when their needs change. Many concepts of universal design support ‘aging in place.’ Designing a new home or providing a remodel that incorporates these strategies to accommodate changing abilities can provide a marketing advantage to your business. The number of people ages 65 and older in the United States has increased steadi- ly during the past century, and growth has accelerated since 2011, when baby boomers first started to turn 65. Between 2020 and 2060, the number of older adults is projected to increase by 69%, from 56 million to 94.7 million. Some will be looking to stay in their homes and remodel; some will want to downsize and/or relocate and will want these features. Buyers surveyed for the What Home Buyers Really Want, 2021 Edition desire several accessibility fea- tures that are part of universal design. Their desire for these features has been increasing since surveys began in 2003. (For example, the desire for an entrance without steps has increased from 42% to 64%.) The survey also found that the older the buyer, the more likely they wanted these features. But even the majority of younger buyers (less than 35 years of age) rated them as essential or desirable. This indicates that accessibility features will generally add value to a home for most home buyers. The 2020 ICC 700 National Green Building Standard® (NGBS) UNIVERSAL DESIGN badge supports the concept of aging in place and provides an indepen- dent third-party verification that a home is designed and constructed for all. Check out the first home to achieve this badge — “The Gladstone” of Urban Downs in Richfield, Wash. — during the July 15 Home Performance Counts: Virtual Green Home Tour Series. The home is certified to 2020 NGBS Green Em- erald-level certification and also earned the NGBS Green+ WELLNESS badge. Throughout the home, you’ll notice many aging-in-place design features, such as wider doorways, curbless entries and barrier-free showers. Features such as no steps from the driveway to the backyard, an ADA-compliant guest bath and wood blocks installed in the walls for future installation of grab bars help achieve the goal of building a home that allows its inhabitants to age gracefully without remodeling. Building Alternatives to Help Navigate Elevated Lumber Prices From the NAHB As lumber prices remain higher than normal, builders may be eyeing alternatives to wood and different construction methods to help mitigate the impact material costs and supply-chain disruptions are having on their businesses. Members and partners of NAHB’s Building Systems Councils have recently been spotlighted for their impact and innovations in the home-building industry, including updates to modular construction processes and resilient building materials, which could provide potential solutions. “Whether it’s manufacturing with precision-cut lumber alternatives more effi- ciently in a factory setting or lumber alternatives like structural insulated panels [SIPs], prefabricated concrete walls or log home packages, systems-built con- struction can help home builders mitigate supply shortages,” stated Brian J. Si- elaff, P.E., P.Eng, 2021 Building Systems Councils chairman and CEO of Tama- rack Grove Engineering, a structural engineering firm in Bosie, Idaho. Modular construction has been highlighted for its potential to combat housing af- fordability, in part because of the speed and efficiency it offers — which are also pros when dealing with supply-chain challenges. MiTek recently made headlines for its efforts to further streamline modular construction by providing the parts, instead of full modules, for general contractors to assemble on site and automat- ing its manufacturing process, comparable to car assembly line. The company will launch a new modular venture next year, with a focus on hotels and apart- ment buildings — including a partnership with an architectural firm that aims to build the world’s tallest modular hotel. Resiliency is also beneficial in combating lumber needs by creating longer-last- ing materials — especially when the product in question doesn’t include lumber at all. RSG 3-D’s panels — comprising foam insulation, a steel grid and concrete covering — were utilized in a northern California home that was able to with- stand a devastating wildfire, prompting the question why the majority of homes are still made of wood. Time pointed to NAHB statistics regarding not only the number of homes constructed with wood, but the financial impact that the lumber crisis has had on the cost of single-family homes as potential reasons to revisit building with different materials for today’s homes. “It’s important to look at total costs,” shared John Barrows, owner of P3 Group in Bridgehampton, N.Y., during a recent NAHB webinar exploring lumber alterna- tives — specifically SIPs. “As codes are becoming more stringent … convention- al construction costs are being driven higher and higher by some of the things that we have to do. And by using a system such as SIPs, you’re able to accomplish that in a much more cost-effective manner to achieve the same outcomes.” “I found on the last eight projects that building a SIP house is 2% to 3% less in direct costs over the whole project than a conventional system with insulation and air sealing to the same level,” he added. As lumber prices remain volatile, builders may want to explore similar alterna- tive methods and materials for their own business.