ADU for U Design Competition is sponsored by NE AARP in partnership with the City of Omaha. There is a competition webinar on August 16 from 12:00-1:30 CT which will provide an overview of the competition, age-friendly design, and Q&A for participants. The link to that webinar is here: https://www.betterlivingdesign.org/aduforomaha.
AARP Nebraska State Director, Todd Stubbendieck, explained on “Live & Local” why this competition exists and how designers can participate. Turns out that AARP Nebraska, in conjunction with the RL Mace Universal Design Institute, announced the 2023 An ADU for U Accessory Dwelling Unit Design Competition. They are partnering with the City of Omaha, Front Porch Investments, the Metropolitan Area Planning Agency, Omaha by Design, and Spark CDI to bring this design competition to Omaha to increase the awareness of the role ADUs can play in providing age-friendly housing options and to inspire the community with viable ADU designs that can be built in Omaha. Those designers will then be eligible to have their designs reviewed by the City of Omaha for inclusion in the ADU Fast-Track collection.
Why Are ADUs Important? - The growing population of older adults in Omaha, and across the country, is putting a squeeze on the supply of housing for older adults. Unfortunately, many of these older residents are aging in homes that were not designed for them to live in safely or independently. The homes may also be larger than they need and may require maintenance that older adults are no longer able to do themselves. Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) are an affordable but underutilized housing option that might be the answer for many people.
Unfortunately, there are few examples of age-friendly accessory dwelling units to inspire and guide the creation of accessory dwellings for older adults. The 2023 An ADU for U Accessory Dwelling Design Competition will remedy that problem. This project will challenge professional designers and builders to create age-friendly accessory dwelling designs in a variety of styles consistent with home styles found in the Omaha area.
More information is available at https://www.betterlivingdesign.org/aduforomaha.
