How Fit is Your House? (& Happy 4th!)

Recently I volunteered at the national showplace from Cooking Light called the Fit House. This house celebrates sustainable and healthful living. What a great concept! Every year Cooking Light Magazine picks a different location across the US to showcase a house of this type, and this year the Portland area was chosen. Maybe your area will be next. If so, it is worth a look. For now, let me share some of the clever concepts for you to ponder next time you remodel or purchase a house.

The Fit House utilizes a universal design to age along with its owners, which makes it a more functional, comfortable home for your family throughout the many stages of life. What does this mean exactly? Well, features like lower countertops, sinks, stovetops and light switches help children as well as older adults in wheelchairs access them more easily. However, I wondered if the lower stovetop creates a hazard with children accessing hot burners. While possible, this clever stovetop’s burners only heat when they are in contact with metal. Pretty cool (so to speak)! Also with a lower counter and island height, the higher counter stools can be replaced with easier-to-use, regular-height table chairs. Wider doorways allow wheelchairs and strollers to be easily accommodated. Things like a wheelchair accessible shower, hardwood floors for easier rolling and walking, and levered faucets and windows that are easier to operate as you age, round out the universal design feature set.

I think the universal design aspect itself makes the Fit House “green” because it is useful for a much longer time, creating less waste from remodeling. However, here are some other features that qualify more directly:

• A mantel over the fireplace created from a single reclaimed, fir beam showcases reuse of a natural element.
• Lots of natural light limits the amount of energy needed.
• Convenient, built-in recycling bins encourage recycling.
• Dishwasher drawers make it easier to wash a half load at a time to conserve energy.
• Less landscaped area limits maintenance and care as you age, but also saves water. Additionally a built-in vegetable and herb garden makes it easier to supply some of your own food locally.
• Radiant floor heating provides greater comfort at a lower thermostat setting to save even more energy.
• Where desired, lower-VOC, environmentally friendly carpeting creates a cozy area.

Next time you are planning a remodel or house hunting, think about all the ways your house can last longer and provide a healthy, green environment.