If you had greater flexibility in your life, what would that mean? Flex time at work? A reliable babysitter? Wednesday night yoga class?

What about a more flexible home?

With the PATH Concept Home, for the very first time, our homes can adapt to us. Move a wall, add an elevator, create a new first-floor master bedroom--it's all much easier with a home designed to anticipate our changing needs.

In the Concept Home, plumbing and wiring are located under removable moldings rather than hidden in a disorganized fashion in ceiling cavities or behind walls. The major utilities--the furnace and AC, for example--are also located in a central core. If you don't have to move utilities, pipes, or wiring, it's far easier and less expensive to move walls and reconfigure rooms when you want to. Now transforming the dining room into the master bedroom is no longer an expensive, long-term task, but a weekend project any do-it-yourselfer can handle.

Universal design eases changes in life

The Concept Home uses the principles of universal design to improve the living space for everyone, usually at little or no extra cost. So, whether you're a couple with another baby on the way, ready to retire and seeking a home for the golden years, or accommodating a family member with limited mobility, the Concept Home can meet your needs. Practically speaking, this means not just easy remodeling, but easy living--since you won't have to change homes to accommodate changes in life.

As the name implies, much of universal design involves changes in building technique, rather than technology. While the Concept Home includes some technology upgrades to increase mobility, most other elements just require a little extra planning before you break ground:

Building a new home?

Here are the blueprints for the PATH Concept Home, yours free. Bring them to your builder; share them with your friends.

Remodeling?

If you're remodeling and just want some new ideas, visit our components page for a complete list of Concept Home technologies.