cy 74 - Friday, July 23, 1999 — North Shore News cy WHAT Bev and Bill McCulloch like most about their new apart- ment complex is its friendly, supportive environment. Bur it’s the hidden features of their home that will allow them to retire there comfort- ably for years to come. They live in Zajac Norgate House, a four-storey apart- ment complex thet was just completed in Nerth Van for adults 55 years of age and older. What makes their home unique is its award-winning FlexHousing design, which offers features that the McCullochs may not need now, bur which may be very imporcant to them in five or ten years. With FiexHousing, you build features into your hous- _ ing design that allow your home to be easily and afford- ably adapted to meet your changing lifestyle needs. In other countries, — similar approaches are — called Universal Housing — or Lifetime Homes. These features range from prewiring for.a future home office, to designing for the possible addition of a bed- toom.and building wider doorways that make it casy to move iture in and out now, while providing wheel- chair access for the future. By ". incorporating these features at the time of construction, you save later on expensive reno- “vations or the cost and incon- venience of moving. Canada’s housing agency, “Canada | Mortgage — and WHAT WATERFRONT-LIVING WAS MEANT TO BE. exiousi Housing Corporation (CMHC), recently held a National FlexHousing design competition to encourage the development of innovative FlexHousing designs — from single family housing to apartment buildings. Bev Nielsen, the designer of Zajac Norgate House, used these principles to win the B.C. Regional Division of this competition, Nielsen is inter- ested in designing housing that allows seniors to “aye in place,” and people with dis- abilities to live independently. Her husband had multiple sclerosis and she says she’s seen the therapeutic value of being able to live indepen- dently in a non-institutional setting. Such arrangements also reduce the burden on the health care system. The North Shore Health Region is using Zajac Norgate House as a pilot project to assess the health and financial benefits of housing that allows seniors and people with disabilities to live independently in the community. “Zajac Norgate House demonstrates how main- stream FlexHousing ideas can be fully utilized and adapted if necessary to accommodate the needs of seniors and peo- ple with disabilities,” said Jim Lynch, General Manager of CMHC’s B.C. and Yukon Business Centre. . _ At Zajac Norgate House, stovetops, and kitchen and bathroom sinks have remov- able base cabinets so that wheelchairs can slide under them. Wall ovens are mount- NEWS photo Brad Ledwidge NELSON Merizzi, Maureen McKeon Holmes, Carmen Zajac, Peter Robinson and NV District Mayor Gon Beil were on hand for the opening of Zajac Norgate House. ed at waist-height with side- opening doors and cach kitchen has pull-out work sur- faces. Bathroom walls have been reinforced so that grab bars can be added later. All of the units have been prewired for home automa- tion and alarm connections to services such as Medical Alert. If at a later date a resident needs an automatic door- opening device installed on their apartment entry door, the cost will be minimal. Similarly, residents who develop hearing problems can connect a strobe light to the alarm system. Prewiring the entire aparrment only added between $3,900 and $4,000 to the cost of construction. A commitment to toral accessibility has meant careful attention to detail: electrical outlets are placed slightly higher on the wall, while light switches, mailboxes, and fire alarms are lower. Stiff fingers can casily manipulate the rocker-style light switches and lever handles on all doors. And_ high-contrast, non-slip flooring helps seniors move safely about the complex. Zajac Norgate House also offers six units with no age restrictions for people with disabilities. These units have additional features such as wheel-in showers and shared home care service. By the year 2017, almost 50% of all Canadian housc- holds will be headed by a per- son over the age of 55. By the year 2031, Canada will have almost 8.4 million people over the age of 65, and 1.4 million over the age of 75. With a rapidly aging popu- lation and a shortage of affordable, accessible hous- ing, organizations like CMHC are advocating a “FlexHousing” approach to building housing ‘to meet these needs. To inquire about suites at Zajac Norgate House, call 983-6629. The building is open for viewing from noon every day. Prize home up for grabs Ocana Lancaster News Reporter deana@nsnews.com PSSST ... wanna take a wander through this year’s PNE Prize Home without paying admis- sion to the fair? You can do it this Sunday when the Prize Home doors open for a free sneak preview. The 1999 Power Smart ° Home, built by Raddison Homes, will eventually sit on a half-acre overiooking — the Sunshine Coast — but for now, and during the PNE,; from Avg. 21-Sept. 6, it will rest on the PNE fair nds, where thousands of ticket-buy- ers can tour through it. : The home is the largest in the history of the 65-year his- tory of the PNE’s Prize Home * Lottery _ program. At 4,100 square feet, it features three. bedrooms, three bathrooms, a gourmet kitchen, home the-. - atre and landscaped back yard. The home also comes with. a spa, gazebo, barbecue. and .. propane heater, and a. 17? power boat. ~~ . Tickets for the lottery are $10 for 7 tickets or $20 for:17. tickets, and ‘can be purchased by calling 251-7777, or until’ Aug. 15 at any IGA store. Tour the prize hoine for: free. this Sunday at the PNE fairgrounds between: 10. a.m. and 7 p.m. Entrance is via Gate 2, on Renfrew Street. os If you have your heart set on a waterfront : ” home at Bayshore, the time has come to choose it’s exact location. Because, as con-" +; struction moves toward completion, the . pace of sales is expected to increase. ~ Already, people: are showing particular ; interest in our marina-view suites. With | their sweeping panoramas and proximity - to the water, we think of them as our dress circle, But you just might think of them as home. OUP ATE BAYSHORE DRIVE Most suites priced from $500,000 to $5 million. Presentation Centre, Suite 1550 - 1500 West Georgia. Open 12-5 pm. Monday - Saturday. For a private appointment call Evelyn Froese (604) 688-1710. Exclusively marketed by Royal LePage. Developed by Bayshore Gardens Developments Ltd,