Winning Designs Announced for Future of Housing Competition

Memphis, Tenn., July 14, 2016 /3BL Media/ – The winning designs in an innovative housing competition Re-defining Home: Home Today, Home Tomorrow were announced today by AARP, AARP Foundation, Home Matters and the Wells Fargo Housing Foundation, a founding supporter of the Home Matters movement. The goal of this first-of-its-kind nationwide competition was to select the best plan for redesigning a typical home so that it would enable people to continue living there through every stage of their life.  

The winning designs announced today aim to set a precedent and act as a guide to help millions of Americans develop a plan for their home to meet their needs regardless of age or income. The first-place winning design will be incorporated into a Memphis home, which was donated by Wells Fargo in coordination with Home Matters’ on-the-ground partner, United Housing, Inc. (UHI).  In addition, the design challenge partners, including The Home Depot Foundation’s Team Depot volunteers, will contribute to make the improvements.

In November 2016, the redesigned home will be awarded to a veteran family in which at least one family member—either the veteran or someone else in the family—will be an individual 50 years of age or older.

Universal Design (UD) is an approach to home building, remodeling, and community development that centers on safety and ease of movement, for all ages, both inside and outside the home. The three winners were selected because their designs went beyond traditional shelter and addressed the connections between housing and other important social factors such as community, affordability, accessibility, esthetics, flexibility and environment.

1st Place Winners are: Gabriel Espinoza, Carmen Velez and Timothy Gargiulo for their project entitled “Inter-Active Living”. http://bit.ly/1maBLxs 
They receive $10,000 in prize money, and their designs will be incorporated into the Memphis home. 

2nd Place Winners are: Lisa Silbermayr and Isa Wolke for their project entitled “The Plus House”. http://bit.ly/1maBLxs 
They receive $5,000 in prize money.

3rd Place Winner is: Ben Tillman with his project entitled “Flex House”. http://bit.ly/1maBLxs
He is a second-time winner of the Re-defining Home competition and receives $3,000 in prize money.

On receiving the first place award, team member Gabriel Espinoza commented, “We entered this competition because we care about aging, and good housing must factor-in the needs of people as they transition through various life cycles. Timothy, Carmen and I used this competition to test these ideas and our firm IBI Group-Gruzen Samton supported us 100 percent.”

View the video of the winners’ personal stories here: http://bit.ly/1maBLxs

“An overwhelming majority of people who are 50 and older want to stay in their homes and communities as they age,” said Jo Ann Jenkins, CEO of AARP. “With 10,000 Americans turning 65 each day, this competition is a wake-up call that we need better solutions that allow people to have more control over how and where they live.”

“The widespread desire for a home that meets all our needs throughout our lifetime is driving architects and designers to reshape the future of housing,” said Lisa Marsh Ryerson, AARP Foundation president. “This competition has broadened the range of housing options available to us and we are particularly gratified that the needs of the most vulnerable seniors were part of the equation.”

Martin Sundquist, executive director of the Wells Fargo Housing Foundation said, “Wells Fargo is focused on working together to provide tangible solutions to address critical housing issues and make homeownership affordable and sustainable for families. We see the Home Matters movement as another example of our efforts to create economic empowerment that can contribute to the future of affordable housing including helping families safely age in place.”

“When the design challenge partners looked to us for the remodel, they turned a spotlight on all the community development work going on in and around Memphis,” said UHI Executive Director Tim Bolding. “With Memphis’ recent focus on proactive blight elimination, it’s important to remember that every new homeowner—in each life stage—is representative of one less blighted home in a neighborhood, which can then positively affect residents in neighborhoods throughout our city.”

Dave Brown, chief executive officer of Home Matters added, “What’s really exciting about this competition is that it’s more than just a remodel – the UD designs are transformative and will impact the veteran family’s emotional and physical well-being- now, and into the future; a home forever.  In other words, Home is a quality of life issue. “

Thirty-four competition partners supported the design challenge, including lead competition partner AIA San Francisco plus AIA Austin, AIA Atlanta, AIA California Council, AIA New York, AIA Los Angeles, AIA DC, AIA Houston, AIA New Orleans, AIA Memphis, AIA Seattle, AIA Tennessee, American Architectural Foundation, American Society of Interior Designers, New York School of Interior Design, Boston Society of Architects, Caring Across Generations, Design Corps, Enterprise Community Partners, Habitat for Humanity, Journeyman International, Leading Age, Make Room, National Low Income Housing Coalition, National Organization of Minority Architects, NeighborWorks America, Public Architecture, Syracuse Architecture, Texas Society of Architecture, Rice School of Architecture, SPUR, Urban Land Institute (Terwilliger Center for Housing), The Aging Well Hub and The Autodesk Foundation.

Dwell and the AARP Bulletin are supporting media partners.

About AARP
AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, with a membership of nearly 38 million, that helps people turn their goals and dreams into real possibilities, strengthens communities and fights for the issues that matter most to families such as healthcare, employment and income security, retirement planning, affordable utilities and protection from financial abuse. We advocate for individuals in the marketplace by selecting products and services of high quality and value to carry the AARP name as well as help our members obtain discounts on a wide range of products, travel, and services.  A trusted source for lifestyle tips, news and educational information, AARP produces AARP The Magazine, the world's largest circulation magazine; AARP Bulletin; www.aarp.org; AARP TV & Radio; AARP Books; and AARP en Español, a Spanish-language website addressing the interests and needs of Hispanics. AARP does not endorse candidates for public office or make contributions to political campaigns or candidates.  The AARP Foundation is an affiliated charity that provides security, protection, and empowerment to older persons in need with support from thousands of volunteers, donors, and sponsors. AARP has staffed offices in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Learn more at www.aarp.org.

About AARP Foundation
AARP Foundation works to ensure that low-income older adults have nutritious food, safe and affordable housing, a steady income, and strong and sustaining social bonds. We collaborate with individuals and organizations who share our commitment to innovation and our passion for problem-solving. Supported by vigorous legal advocacy, we create and advance effective solutions that help struggling older adults transform their lives. AARP Foundation is the charitable affiliate of AARP. Learn more at www.aarpfoundation.org

About Home Matters®
Home Matters is a national movement designed to ensure that every American lives in a safe, nurturing environment with access to education, healthcare, public spaces and community services. A key part of what we are doing is re-defining the American Dream. We believe the New American Dream is a societal commitment to improve and balance quality of life and that Home is our nation’s common denominator. We exist to raise funds and build awareness of the need for more affordable homes and better communities across the country. We’re a national coalition with over 300 nonprofit, government and corporate partners working hard toward ambitious goals over the next decade. www.HomeMattersAmerica.com

About The Wells Fargo Housing Foundation
In 2015, the Wells Fargo Housing Foundation donated nearly $20 million in support of affordable housing initiatives serving low-and moderate-income households – including for seniors, veterans, and families – through community revitalization efforts. Since its inception in 1993, the Wells Fargo Housing Foundation has invested more than $170 million to such efforts, along with mobilizing more than 4.7 million team member volunteer hours to build and rehabilitate nearly 5,600 homes and counting. www.wellsfargo.com/about/wfhf_oview.

About The Home Depot Foundation
Since the first The Home Depot store opened in 1979, giving back has been a core value for the Company and a passion for its associates. Today, The Home Depot, in partnership with The Home Depot Foundation, focuses its philanthropic efforts on improving the homes and lives of U.S. military veterans and their families including the growing population of senior veterans. Through Team Depot, the Company’s associate-led volunteer force, thousands of associates dedicate their time and talents to these efforts in the communities where they live and work. Since 2011, The Home Depot Foundation has invested more than $138 million to veteran causes, and along with the help of TeamDepot volunteers, has transformed more than 25,000 homes for veterans. www.homedepot.com/teamdepot

About United Housing, Inc.
United Housing Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit affordable housing agency that serves families who are underserved by the traditional homeownership industry in Shelby County and West Tennessee. Founded in 1994 as an affiliate of the United Way of the Mid-South, UHI has helped more than 4,000 families own or save their homes. In 2000, the nonprofit joined the NeighborWorks America Network and is now linked to more than 240 local nonprofits nationwide that are working to revitalize America’s declining neighborhoods. For more information, call (901) 272-1122 or visit: www.uhinc.org

About Dwell
At Dwell, we are staging a minor revolution. Here, the community comes together in content-rich environments to celebrate modern design through inspiring collaboration.
For over 15 years, Dwell has championed good design, and is widely credited with igniting a conversation about how good design affects our lives. That grounding principle created a media company and, in turn, drove a cultural movement in which influential thought leaders pursue innovation and challenge old ideas. Today we stand with eleven branded platforms – Dwell Print, Dwell Strategic Partnerships & Collaborations, Dwell Mobile, Dwell Editions, Dwell Digital, Dwell Insights Group, Dwell Store, Dwell Real Estate, Dwell Events, and Dwell Social communities. Dwell serves a community of 3.5 million Design Seekers, savvy consumers and professionals passionate about design and purposeful in their pursuit of it. www.dwell.com

AARP Bulletin 
AARP Bulletin reaches more than 23.5 million households each month in print, with additional news and in-depth coverage online. Covering health and health policy, Medicare, Social Security, consumer protection, personal finance, and AARP state and national news developments, AARP Bulletin delivers the story behind the key issues confronting 50+ America.

About AIASF
Serving the Bay Area for more than a century, the American Institute of Architects, San Francisco Chapter represents more than 2,000 members in San Francisco and Marin Counties. As a resource for our members and the general public, AIA San Francisco strives to improve the quality of life in the Bay Area by promoting architecture and design. We further this goal through community involvement, education, advocacy, public outreach, member services, and professional excellence. www.aiasf.org.