05
Mar

Home Elevators are for Every One!

This rendering of a 3-story elevator addition in Rockville, MD illustrates how the new elevator shaft was designed to seamlessly integrate with the exterior of the home.

Think home elevators are just a dream? Think again! Home elevators can actually work in almost any home. SVA Construction Corp Design Build is currently designing and building a 3-story home elevator for this Rockville, MD couple. These empty nesters have lived in their 2300 square foot three-bedroom, 2-car garage split level home since 1992. They want to stay in their home as they age and are now looking at ways to make their home more accessible. The new elevator is a big part of this.

One of the homeowners runs a charity out of her basement so a main goal of the project is to give her easy access from the basement level where she spends much of her day working to her third floor master bedroom. When determining how to integrate the new elevator, some structural changes were needed. The elevator needed to line up with three floors and had to take into account a garage and stone patio in the backyard as well as consider setback issues. To accommodate the new elevator, existing windows were replaced with new larger windows, an electrical panel in the basement was relocated, and an elevator lobby and three stops for the elevator on the basement, main level and master bedroom floors were designed. The elevator can easily fit a wheelchair and the lobby has room for full turning radius for a wheelchair should the need arise.

Construction on the elevator began in early February and should wrap up by May. Stay tuned for after photos once the project is complete!