Upon entering the custom reverse one and a half story home on Lasley Branch Court at The Estates at Knoll Creek, you’ll  immediately notice the quality of the workmanship and the attention to detail this beautiful home has to offer. You’ll notice the open floor plan, the light and airy living area with a charming stone fireplace and the spacious kitchen. But you probably won’t notice the most important elements of this home until you take a closer look. 

This is a Universal Design (UD) home built by Raymore resident Wade Beck of Pinnacle Homes of Kansas City. UD homes are equipped to adapt to the needs of the residents, allowing them to age gracefully in their homes. These features that integrate comfort and security often do not cost extra, but add value to the residence and save money on home customization later.

Some of the features in a UD home include:

• 36 inch wide doors for wheelchair mobility
• zero entry front door and shower
• lever style handles and rocker style electrical switches
• lowered oven and microwave
• kitchen sink built separately from the island so it can be easily lowered or the panel underneath can be removed, if needed
• backing in bathroom walls to allow for easy installation of grab bars

“We continue to look for ways to help residents stay in Raymore as they age,” City Planner Katie Jardieu said. “Universal Design benefits residents of all ages as it provides easier mobility and flexibility, and this is one way we can meet the needs of both current and future residents.”

Beck says that building a UD home has really forced him to get better at his design and it starts with listening to people and taking advice as early in the development plan as possible.

“If you let other people around you know that it’s important to you to incorporate universal design, my experience here has been that the people who can make a difference will come up with ideas you haven’t thought of,” Beck said. “You sort of create that momentum, and now going into other projects we’re all interested in figuring out how we can make this happen with every build.”

Beck says the industries have also come a long way in developing better products that make it easier to install these more accessible features, such as a zero entry shower, which he plans to have in every home he builds now.

“Wherever you can put these universal design elements in without having an exorbitant cost, the question would be, ‘Why not? Why wouldn’t you?’” Beck said.

In 2017, the City of Raymore received Gold Level recognition as a Community for All Ages by the Mid-America Regional Council (MARC), the region’s metropolitan planning organization, as a great place to live and age well. Guided by a Community for All Ages Master Plan, the City continues to support and implement policies, programs and services that make it easier for individuals in the community to stay active and engaged and sustain a high quality of life within the community.

“Pinnacle Homes has been a great partner in this effort,” Jardieu said. “Wade has always been willing to try new ideas and streamline construction and design, so he has been a great builder to work with.”