Stevermer Company is a member of the National Association of the Remodeling Industry.
Owner Kim Stevermer has earned designations as a Certified Remodeler and a Certified Kitchen & Bath Remodeler.
|   
Universal Design
While the Stevermer Company has been building its reputation as a quality remodeler throughout the Kansas City area, it has also been developing expertise in the area of Universal Design, also called "age-in-place" design and remodeling. It refers to remodeling to suit the changing needs of older adults who wish to remain in their homes longer.
The Universal Design Alliance defines Universal Design as "the design of products and environments to be usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without adaptation or specialized design." Given today's population of diverse interests, ages and abilities, Universal Design is essential to insuring a home's continuing ease of use and optimum livability.
"The House that Kim Built"
In 1999, Kim's parents were considering the decision to stay in their two-story family farm home or relocate to a more home with more accessibility and ease of living. Their home's floor plan did not allow the possibility of first floor living and doorways were built to 1920's standards. Using intuition and building materials available at that time, Stevermer Company pioneered creating a housing design that would accommodate their needs in a comfortable and accessible living environment.
Features such as wider (36") doorways, elevation-free portals, multiple lighting options and levered door handles were incorporated in the plans. "From a design standpoint, we built Dad and Mom's home so that they could come and go with ease and the result was very workable," says Kim Stevermer of the Stevermer Company. "They were able to open the garage by remote, drive into the garage, access a wheelchair beside the car, enter the home through the wider doorway, set down their packages in the utility room and immediately access the kitchen or bathroom if needed. These are just a few of the neat features we used."
As a result of this foresight, Kim's father, Mark, is still living in a home on the same block where he began raising his family 55 years ago - undeniable proof that has caused Kim to encourage the use of Universal Design practices in all of his remodeling projects.
For more information about Universal Design, contact us or visit the web sites listed below:
AARP-home design
United States Access Board
Adaptive Environment Design
Center for Universal Design
National Association of Home Builders
National Resource Center on Housing and Home Modification
Universal Design Home
Universal Design Alliance
| More of our work
Click images to enlarge.
|
|
