Chris Craiker, The Architex Angle: Elevating your home

Elevating your home

Chris Craiker

Living and working in Marin for twenty years, designing hillside homes with two and three stories was common. Every so often, a client would ask for an elevator. Often the cost and personal requirements would scare them off, but I tried to talk people into keeping that option available.

Today’s new homes are rarely one-story, mostly two and three stories are common. Just providing the shaft space is an easy solution. That space might be a closet in the entry room and later converted to a shaft.

CHRIS D. Many of my clients are

CRAIKER thinking of the future use of their dream home in regard to the use of space. They think about the outdoor areas, the barbecue areas, how the great room will look or how the kitchen will function for events or family gatherings. But they rarely consider Aging-In -Place or the long-term use of their residence. We might be temporarily in a wheelchair or need crutches. Perhaps we have an elderly family member visit us and we need options.

The reality is, we all will age and hopefully live our lives in the habit we have created for ourselves. We need to think long-term.

Some years ago, Napa had a City Councilperson in a wheelchair. As a good friend of mine, I could never have him visit my home because I had too many steps.

When I designed a luxury community of condominiums overlooking the bay to San Francisco, I insisted on including elevators to all the ground floor units. They were the first to sell. Interestingly, the community was anticipated to be mostly seniors and retirees, but it became a magnet for young families trying to enter the fast pace escalating North Bay housing market.

Recently, I was designing a home for a

An in-home elevator.

young couple a one-story house with a loft for future family members. They asked for an elevator. The idea initially seemed odd, from a young family, but it made sense to, provide the space on two levels. The power and if necessary, the foundation clearance for the future well.

As an architect, we have to design the elevator as if it’s going to be filled tomorrow because we have to include all the details, clearances and power requirements.

Chris Craiker photo

It could be built in the future, but it might be a little more difficult and expensive. It’s all a matter of personal needs.

There are a variety of elevators out there: some are simple, some are utilitarian, and others are cool to a point of wanting to have them in your living room as a showpiece.

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