b'doing itmaking it easyOne Wellington man benefits from design that heeds the Lifemark building standard.AboveDespite being on a Wellington hillside,A fter 27 years of being in a wheelchair, Phillip Blundell knew what he wanted in an ideal home. Admittedly during this time he had retrofitted several to make acceptable dwellings the house is all on one level, allowing easybuttoachievethisrequiredconstantcompromisewithunsightly access from room to room, and from the garage. The sweeping angled roof not only looksramps and whole areas being out of bounds simply because making striking but controls the sun in all seasons. them wheelchair accessible was unfeasible.BelowPhillip and Helen Blundell with architectIt wasnt until some years ago that he decided to build new for the next Davor Mikulcic. stage of his and his wife Helens life. Wed been thinking for years of what would make the perfect house for someone in my position, and reading through the BRANZ publication Homes Without Barriers got me thinking really hard about what I needed. Also building new meant I would be able to indulge my love of a wide horizon. Growing up in Napier that had always been there, but living in the Hutt area didnt allow the same open space opportunities. Howeverabitofsearchingturnedupanewsubdivisionin Silverstream, where Phillip and Helen were able to buy a site with all-day sun and wide views out to the snow-tipped Rimutaka Ranges in one direction and across bush-covered valleys in the other. Working with Bosnian-born architect Davor Mikulcic from Studio MWA in Wellington, who in Phillips words threw his heart and soul into the project the long design process was begun.Phillip decided that to be truly suitable, his new home had to adhere to the five key principles of Lifetime Design (see box at right), as designated by the worldwide Lifemark movement. A key one of these is that the house should be on one level and be easily accessed from the chief mode of exterior transport, in Phillips case, his car.ByofferingthetrademarkedLifemarksealofapproval,Lifetime Design (which is supported by Resene) aims to raise public awareness of the desirability of homes that have the capacity to work for their inhabitants either over a lifetime of changing needs, or for varying 44'