Residential Elevators

Rhyse Boeneke brings extensive experience in the residential elevator industry, giving him a practical understanding of how accessibility considerations intersect with home design, construction and long-term planning. His perspective focuses on anticipating future needs early enough to preserve flexibility and avoid unnecessary complications later.

Making Accessibility Part of the Planning Conversation

After years in the residential elevator industry, I have learned that accessibility is often considered only after a homeowner has a specific need for it. By then, the available choices can be narrower, and the changes required more complicated.

I see value in considering accessibility much earlier, while a home is still being designed. A house represents a long-term investment, yet many decisions focus primarily on current needs. Thinking about how those needs could change over 10, 20 or 30 years creates an opportunity to prepare without changing how the home is used today.

One practical example is the use of vertically aligned, or stacked, closets during new construction. These spaces can function as ordinary closets initially while being planned for eventual conversion into an elevator hoistway.

The important lesson is not simply to reserve space. Structural, electrical and dimensional requirements also need to be considered from the beginning. Planning for a future pit, appropriate framing, a removable or false floor where applicable, electrical service, and sufficient space above the upper landing can make a future conversion considerably more straightforward.

Looking Beyond a Single Accessibility Need

Another lesson from my experience is that accessibility should not be viewed exclusively through the lens of aging. An injury can temporarily make stairs difficult. A parent or grandparent may eventually move into a home. Everyday tasks involving luggage, groceries, laundry or children's equipment can also become more difficult across multiple floors.

"The goal is to help homeowners think about accessibility as part of their long-term housing strategy. Whether that means installing an elevator today or simply planning for one in the future, considering accessibility early can preserve options, simplify future decisions and add lasting functionality to the home."

Those possibilities reinforce the value of flexibility in residential design. A homeowner may never need an accessibility feature in the way originally anticipated, but designing with future needs in mind can preserve options as circumstances change.

Early collaboration is important here. Homeowners, architects and builders each bring different perspectives to a project, while accessibility features introduce specific structural, dimensional, electrical and clearance considerations. Bringing those considerations into the design process early can prevent a minor decision from becoming a costly obstacle later.

Putting Cost in a Long-Term Context

Cost is understandably an important consideration, but I believe it needs to be viewed in the context of the alternatives. If stairs eventually make a home impractical, a homeowner may face a major renovation, relocation or assisted living. Retrofitting an existing home can also be more complicated than incorporating accessibility considerations during the original construction.

Planning ahead allows homeowners to evaluate an elevator in the context of the homes long-term use and the potential costs of future alternatives. Considering accessibility early can provide greater flexibility, whether the best approach is installing an elevator during construction or preparing the home so one can be added easily in the future.

For some homeowners, that may mean installing an elevator during construction. For others, it may simply mean preparing the home so one can be added later. Both approaches reflect the same principle. Good planning creates choices.

Designing for the Home's Future

I see that some of the most valuable decisions made during home construction are the ones whose importance may not become apparent for years. Kitchens, flooring, lighting and outdoor spaces receive considerable attention because their value is immediately visible. Future accessibility requires a different kind of thinking.

A well-designed home should be able to adapt alongside the people who live in it. That does not require predicting exactly what the future will bring. It requires recognizing that circumstances change and making thoughtful decisions while the opportunity to plan still exists.

For me, that is the real value of considering accessibility early. It is not about committing a homeowner to one outcome, but giving that homeowner more options when the needs of the household eventually change.