Forty-Foot Building Widths Are Ideal
A 40-foot building width is an ideal starting point. It allows for the efficient integration of a front-loaded, two-car garage, a front entry and living space — generally a living room or bedroom suite.
Anything wider than 40 feet will not add much more efficiency or flexibility until you reach the 50-foot mark. That width enables you to design a vastly different home.
Keep in mind that designing a house under 40 feet wide with a front-loaded, two-car garage can cause problems. Design-wise, the narrower width forces front entries to open directly into living space. An alternative solution is to have a side-entry.
If your lot size dictates a width narrower than 40 feet, consider designing a home with a one-car garage. Most active adults do have two cars when they move into their new home or community, but soon end up with just one car. For the NSB house, this would work just fine.
Side Entries Can Work — With the Right Design Touches
Many buyers prefer front entries, which provide identity and security and eliminate the need to walk down a narrow side yard past the neighbors’ blank wall.
Because an NSB house may be narrower than the traditional home, a side entry is an effective architectural solution. A side entry design brings residents and guests into the middle of the home. It also lessens the long, narrow look of the house.
If a side entry is your only alternative, consider putting an entry porch on the side, a trellis between houses or, better yet, an angled side entry — an appealing compromise.
The Right Bedroom Placement Will Broaden Your Market Appeal
Active adult buyers generally want bedrooms on the first level. Keeping the master bedroom on the first level and putting additional bedrooms upstairs will attract not only a senior buyer, but also a younger senior buyer (the so-called “junior senior”).
However, putting two bedrooms on the first level assures you of an even broader market. An optional second level can be used as a den/loft/guest bedroom, office, television room, retreat or just storage space — all options the active adult considers for his or her individual lifestyle.
De-emphasize the Garage
The front-loading garage still seems to be the market preference, but don’t let the garage dominate the streetscape. The NSB home buyer isn’t looking for a garage with a house attached to it.
Try these tips to de-emphasize the front-loading garage:
- Pull the garage back six to 12 feet from the face of the home or front porch.
- Recess the garage door.
- Add a trellis over the garage door.
- Use “designer” garage doors.
- Use architectural elements (i.e., dormers, second-story room, etc.) to pull the eye away from the garage door.
A more radical solution is to use an alley scheme with the garage in the back. In this scenario, the garage disappears completely, providing unlimited porch opportunities in the front of the house. This design, however, pushes many rooms to the front and diminishes the use of a rear patio or sunroom.
This can become a problem when the home’s width dictates that the master suite is at the front (not the most desirable location). However, the neo-traditional movement is making inroads into seniors housing, and the benefits of living toward the street and the creation of a true “neighborhood” have many advantages.
Great Room vs. Formal Living Room? Offer Variety
The NSB house can’t be everything — at least not in one model. The solution is to offer variety — a great room plan and a formal living room plan, the details will make either of these house plans work — and allow buyers to make the decision.
The NSB house incorporates windows to visually expand the limited square footage and admit the natural light many active adult buyers desire. However, the designer should be cautioius about furniture placement: if buyers are moving within the same geographic area, they probably will bring plenty of “heirlooms” with them. The designer should offer ample space for these items.
Other useful design features are high windows that furniture can go beneath, or split windows that furniture can go between. Consider windows under kitchen cabinets, windows over bathroom mirrors, transoms over windows and even transoms over inside doors to admit more natural light.
Offer Plenty of Lifestyle Choices
Adult buyers, especially the boomers, are accustomed to choices. While the builder can offer sunrooms, second-floor space, different kitchen and bath packages, and color choices, it’s essential to go a step further and offer your buyer a variety of lifestyles.
One model should offer conservative, more defined rooms for more mainstream buyers, while the others can be more creative. Bear in mind that the next generation of active adults increasingly will demand more exciting space, including a range of ceiling heights, lots of windows, open plans, home offices, workshops, greenhouses, decks, terraces, hot tubs, landscape packages and gourmet kitchens. In other words, they are looking for quality.
Build in Lots of Storage
Most active adult buyers prefer to store belongings rather than throw them away. Designers must look for every opportunity to create storage. Forget the pull-down stairs to attic storage. Basements aren’t ideal either — they add stairs and a possibly undesirable storage climate.
It’s important to be innovative with storage solutions. This means allotting storage under the stairs when there is no basement and providing kitchen cabinets in the laundry room and garage. Also consider including oversized linen closets, garages and actual storage rooms to overcome the storage issue.
Garage space, preferably a defined additional storage area, works well. If you are offering second-floor rooms with a “real” stair, then a door into the attic is fine.
Porches Are Becoming More Popular
While sunrooms remain a popular option, porches are becoming an important design element. They add an inviting image, and if useable — preferably eight feet wide — and not merely decorative, they add certain vitality to the street and the community. The screened porch on the back of the house adds real living space to the home. It’s also an easy option for a sunroom enclosure.
While the rear sunroom is highly desirable, another approach is to add a front sunroom — the old “enclosed porch.” Properly detailed to blend with the home’s architecture, the front sunroom can add architectural interest, bring living space to the street and serve a double function as a den, TV room or office.
Keep in mind that an extra room in the NSB house is a definite marketing plus.
Make the Home Adaptable
Keep in mind that active adults think they are 10 years younger than they really are. The NSB home should be designed to allow for aging-in-place without shouting it. Larger house numbers, lighted doorbells and accessible front entries all enhance livability without taking up valuable space or significantly increasing costs.
The builder should pay attention to heights of switches and controls. Designing wider hallways (three feet, four inches) and doorways (two feet, 10 inches) and offering at least one accessible bath (even though not required in a single-family home) extends the livability of the home for all residents regardless of their age or ability.
Get familiar with the Fair Housing Act and basic universal design guidelines. Use them in conjunction with creative design to “hide” the adaptability of the NSB active adult home.
Active Adult Market Is Open to Builders of All Sizes
Boomers are rapidly approaching active adult status, but they are approaching active adult home buying with different requirements. While the large active adult community continues to be popular with many buyers, there will be an increasing demand for smaller infill-type senior communities. This opens up the market to builders of all sizes, especially in urban and many suburban markets.
The new “senior” buyers will be looking for a different home. They want:
- Carefree exterior maintenance, but not at the cost of elegant design
- A downsized home, but with larger rooms
- Community character and a sense of place (not the traditional “subdivision” feel)
- Energy-efficient, but with lots of glass
- Offices at home, not crafts at the clubhouse
- Individualized homes
- No yard, but plenty of privacy
The NSB house has to meet all the criteria that a 3,000-square-foot home does. A deeper understanding of the active adult buyers’ needs, not to mention good design, can help you meet this challenge.
William J. (Bill) Devereaux, Jr. is the president of McLean, VA-based Devereaux & Associates, which specializes in residential design and planning as well as recreational and commercial structures, resort villages and manufactured housing. Devereaux has been involved in seniors housing design on the East Coast for 25 years and is a contributing editor to Builder magazine. For information, e-mail him or call him at 703-893-0102.
This article was reprinted from the Summer 2004 edition of Seniors' Housing News, published quarterly by NAHB's Seniors Housing Council. For publication information, e-mail Jeff Jenkins, or call him at 800-368-5242 x8292.
Attend the 2005 Seniors Housing Symposium in Metro Washington, D.C. Area
Learn more about the fastest-growing segment of the housing market. Plan to attend Building for Boomers & Beyond: Seniors Housing Symposium 2005, the premier educational and networking event for industry professionals serving the burgeoning 50+ market. For more information, click here.
Enter the 2005 Best of Seniors Housing Awards — Entries Due Nov. 5
Enter your community design, clubhouse, models or marketing and merchandising in the 2005 Best of Seniors Housing Awards competition.
The competition has more than 100 categories to choose from, including active adult, assisted living, continuing care retirement community, congregate care community, renovated seniors housing, special needs housing, seniors multifamily and more.
For details, visit Call for Entries, or call 800-368-5242 x8220.
Learn More About Seniors Housing Through the Seniors Housing Council
To learn more about seniors housing, join the NAHB Seniors Housing Council. The council provides information, education, networking and recognition opportunities for its members and represents NAHB on seniors housing issues. For more details, e-mail Jeff Jenkins or call him at 800-368-5242 x8292.
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