Bethesda Forever Home

This older couple wanted to create a forever home where they could age in place and welcome family and friends. They purchased a small house on a large lot – a rare find close to downtown Bethesda. We worked with them to reclaim and donate as much as possible from the existing house prior to demolition. The overall house design and location provide features that address four main requests from the client: • Aging-in-Place Features • Understated Design • Maximizing Garden/Landscape Area • Optimal Orientation for Solar Panels The couple’s goal is to live in the house as long as possible, so they wanted wheelchair access to all major parts of the house. Starting with the exterior, they wanted a level, walk-in front door, and a walk-in garage/basement entry. With a lot that had a 6-foot grade change, it was a construction and aesthetic challenge to make it resemble a natural grade. We added soil at the front to raise the entry but did not want it to look like the house was rising from the ground. We also avoided using mechanical drainage. The yard is flatter at the back, the water drains down and away from the house. We also created a maintenance-free exterior with fiber cement siding and composite decking.