The mushroom house in Pittsford NY, it is for sale IIRC.

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ETlXj-6lTI...0/IMG_3043.JPG

The neighborhood that I'll most likely buy into will be raised foundation. I'll remodel and add onto. To do what I need to do I'll have to buy a house in a cheaper neighborhood than what I live in today. If I was going to slope the concrete lie the ones in the pics I would truck in a couple tons of dirt to blend in the ramp.


My current house has 3 small steps over 35 feet of lenght. I always fear a older person falling due to not seeing the steps.

When my folks had their 50th wedding anniversary we had a catered diner for 70 people in our home. I blocked off the walkway and had everyone head down the driveway!

Other ideas inside is motorized pocket doors that can be opened with a light switch.

How about adding a trellis to the house either down the side or across the front with a small retaining wall that runs level. The retaining wall would only need to be slightly higher than the the rise of the ramp and could be hidden by landscaping. The retaining wall could also be designed as a planter. The trellis could have a vine that would create nice visual appeal. If a hand rail was needed it could be a simple rail similar to that attached to a wall on a stair case so it would have minimal visual impact.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1316793016.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1316793032.jpg

If you chose to stay in your current two story home you could also retrofit the home with a personal elevator. We have included elevators in some homes we built in the past. They start at around $20K and are about the size and look very similar to a small walk in closet. Could be an option to allow you to remain in your home.

If your current home has 3 steps with a 7" rise each that's only a 21" rise. It shouldn't be that difficult or expensive (unless lot restraints are an issue) to regrade the lot. Heck if you are going to remodel another house is it out of the question to retrofit your house? Don't forget the move alone could cost something so factor that in as well. Unless of course you don't want to stay in your current home?

Just thinking.:confused:

My house is two stories. When we designed it we planned for the option to add an elevator later. We designed two closets, one above the other, on both floors and poured a pad below, that way if we needed it later we would just cut the floor out between the stacked closets. Didn't actually end up doing that
Steve

An oldie
 

Here's an oldie in the Oregon high dessert.
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1316795999.jpg

I mis read this originally. It should be very simple to regrade the lot to make this handicap accessible with a continuous walk. Of course I am unfamiliar with the rise of the lot and how difficult this would be for a wheel bound person to navigate the rise manually but I would think a scooter or powered wheel chair should be able to navigate a 21"-24" rise over 35' pretty easily. Making a a continuous walk would also eliminate the trip and fall hazard of your elderly guests as well.

Check out the outdoor home theater...

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1316796409.jpg

The Skyline Residence by Belzberg Architects » CONTEMPORIST

This is the home my buddy Floyd was building until Cancer took him.
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1316795806.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1316795855.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1316795894.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1316795940.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1316795982.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1316796038.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1316796084.jpg
The shop... Floyd cheated on this as his health was failing, the last home he build, he built a matching Cedar shop, 1,300sqf.
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1316796239.jpg
It had a loft built to hold cars, but the lift was never installedhttp://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1316796346.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1316796383.jpg
Sadly he never finished his dream home(at least this one) and he did almost all the work himself (other than the shop, and he felt bad about cheating there) and out of pocket..

Jim,
The thread is talking about house, not a building or hotel Jim. :lol:

Jim
Here are a couple of pictures of my house. We kept the original foundation and added to it so I did not have a complete blank state, kind of what you will be dealing with. I raised the garage and driveway with the hardscaping and tied it in around the house. There are no steps and the entrances are built with slopes to get over the door sills. There is no point building ramps if you don't take into account the door sills and the drainage requirements around the doors.
I also raised the yard so it would look proportional.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1316801079.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1316801115.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1316801148.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1316801180.jpg

Steve

Steve,

What you've done is what I'm thinking. I'm looking for a large cul de' sac corner lot. I've seen some in the area with 12,000 - 14,000 feet in a V shape. I want to push the house towards the front of the V so that there will be a large yard in the back. 2,000 ish sq foot home 4 car garage that is 2x2 in tandem Hide the ramping to the front door so that it blends in etc. Large backyard so that If my 4 sons each have 2 kids that there's plenty of room for grand kids. I'm 45 but I don't plan on moving anytime soon ( Unless Texas creates it's own country!)

Nice SC Steve.

Oh, nice house too.

LA $5mil to 7mil Detroit?

7861 Squaw Valley Way, Cerritos, CA 90703 MLS# P797369

Where I'm moving from.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1317146629.jpg


Any more?

I'd like to see some shipping container homes (not huts) as those are intriguing me these days.

Snapper,

Shipping container trade show booths are the new thing at show. Pretty cool.

I saw a barn for truck repair that was 80' by around 60' The guy set it up pretty cool. all of the 4'x8' plywood for the roof was done so that it was full sheet.. no cutting. the two long walls had been set up as two shipping containers in tandem.

Blu Homes Custom Prefab Eco-Friendly Homes
http://www.bluhomes.com/wp-content/u.../02/panel1.jpg

mustn't snow much there!

Mine if the HOA ever approves my plans....

We will be moving from a 2 story to this single with an access ramp in the front.

Very hard to build anything that does not kinda follow Mizner's style down here.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1317150337.jpg


http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1317150356.jpg