Project Description
A classically modern pavilion, this two-suite guest house sits in a park-like setting and recalls classic case study homes of the 20th century. The house turns a solid face to the north, providing privacy while opening the south face to an over-sized stone patio. The patio is a transitional outdoor room between the tempered space and the garden beyond. The palette is a contrast of crisp lines and textured surfaces weaving modern spaces with timeless, patinated surfaces. And this home was also designed to be accessible, allowing occupants to age-in-place.
It’s called the “silver tsunami,” a slow-motion demographic tidal wave that began to wash ashore last year when the first of the baby boomers turned 65. Americans live longer than we used to. And the vast majority remains at home—or in their kids’ homes. Only five percent of U.S. seniors actually live in nursing homes or assisted-living facilities. While the huge numbers make the age-in-place design movement they’ve sparked important, it hardly sounds hip—until you see this home.
The 2,000-square-foot home has a central public space for living, cooking, and dining, bookended by two master suites. Sited in a park-like setting next to the main home, 2290’s age-in-place features like curbless showers and modularized cabinetry allow wheelchair access while suggesting nothing more to the eye than clean modern design.
“No home we’ve ever done has gotten as many comments as this one,” says Boulder-based architecture firm Arch11’s founding principal E.J. Meade. “We’re getting queries from that leading edge of baby boomers telling us they want to downsize into a home like this one—compact enough that every square inch was thought through and will be accessible as they age, even if they need care later in life.”