Rockland organization brings 'universal design' concept home to New City
Some of the universally designed features include blocks behind sheetrock to allow grab bars to be installed, wider door frames, lower electrical panels/breaker boxes and HVAC, and an easy entry shower.
More Stories
4 Ann St. in New City will look much different - and have more meaning- in less than a year after its "universally designed" rebuild.
BRIDGES, an organization that serves people of all ages with any disability, purchased the home in 2023 and is behind the project.
The nonprofit's goal is to make this home suitable for everyone with details you can and can't see.
"What we’re hoping to do here is create a staple, a template and an example of how homes, too, can be equitable in use and can allow anyone to live in it with freedom and independence and dignity," said Carlos Martinez, the CEO of BRIDGES.
On Thursday, BRIDGES spoke with elected officials firsthand and asked them to incentivize builders to incorporate universal design concepts.
The organization plans to showcase the house when it's done to inspire others and eventually sell it to fix more.
"We’re hoping that this is the start of something very special and is very good for everybody," said Robert Bernstein, of BILD Architect, who has donated his time to work on this project for BRIDIGES.
Some of the universally designed features include blocks behind sheetrock to allow grab bars to be installed, wider door frames, lower electrical panels/breaker boxes and HVAC and an easy entry shower.
“A house that’s university designed from the beginning doesn’t have to look like a hospital setting," said Rich Fernandez, a BRIDGES board member, who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in his 20's. "But it enables people to remain in their homes because they’re already outfitted."
