Accessibility Renovations

KMA was hired to complete a largely interior renovation of a three-story Colonial Revival home in Somerville, MA that had suffered through years of ad hoc remodeling and deferred maintenance. The clients were a married couple and the wife—a licensed architect—wished to restore the grandeur of a former entry hall and thereby return some dignity to the house. The husband is an avid chef with lifelong mobility issues who now, in his sixties, was turning more often to using his wheelchair instead of crutches or a cane. The homeowners tasked KMA with three goals: design an accessible route from the driveway to the first floor of the house, install a residential lift to provide access to the second floor, and redesign the kitchen so the husband could effortlessly cook from a seated position.

KMA’s team designed a ramp at the top of the driveway that leads to a rear deck off the kitchen pantry, doubling not only as an accessible route into the house but also out to the bluestone patio in the back yard. Tight spaces in the historic floor plan made the lift installation a challenge, however the extra space gained by re-establishing the entry hall proved to be just enough room to fit the lift shaft next to the main stairs. The kitchen was renovated with lowered counters, wider doors in and out, and knee space at key workstations, with a large open area in the middle. This uncluttered plan allowed the husband to “float like an astronaut” (in his words) from one side of the kitchen to the other.