Accessible Duplex

Setting the Scene
The couple that came to us to design this cutting-edge home wanted a place for the long run. Somewhere suited for their current mobility and desire for luxury living, but flexible enough to become more accessible later as needs changed. 

As an additional layer, they desired a duplex. If they could get something just right on one side of the lot, why not double the fun?

Making It Happen
Squeezing a deluxe age-in-place duplex on this narrow Edina property was no small feat. It took an arsenal of architectural tools to check every box on our client’s wish list, which included a tuck-under, four-car garage, an efficient wood winder stair wrapping around a stone fireplace, a side patio in the mid-riff of the floor plan, and the list goes on.

We also seamlessly incorporated a panoply of accessibility measures. Our condensed layout featured a shower that could be easily enlarged for a curbless, wheelchair-friendly stall, a serpentine front walkway that doubled as an accessible ramp (cleverly camouflaged by native plantings), a basement studio for live-in help when old age entailed it, and more.

Finally, to celebrate the owners’ heritage, a Nordic design sensibility came through in cross-shaped french windows, streamlined minimalism, woodsy and award-winning cabinetry, and Scandinavian Blue front doors.