We tip our hats to the efforts of our former client Dale Beatty, as his tale is told in this week's Time magazine.
Six years ago we were approached by Dale and his family to help him in the design of his new home in Statesville, N.C.. He had returned from his National Guard duty as a double amputee and needed his house to respond to his physical needs. We looked at door widths, level entries, wheelchair turning radii, and a residential elevator. We took care to integrate these measures inconspicuously. Instead of having a ramp, for example, we used the slope of the garage entry and several level connections to the interior instead.
Even though, it wasn't our usual modern fare, we adjusted the proportions of the exterior and the floor plan, too.
Dale's efforts in the construction of his own house took him and his friend John Gallina to the creation of Purple Heart Homes, an organisation through which they help other veterans, working on handicap-accessible projects.
Read more about Dale's story in the Time magazine. Here is an excerpt from the Article "The New Greatest Generation" by Joe Klein:
<< John Gallina and Dale Beatty were best friends. They joined the North Carolina National Guard while they were still in high school. They served in Iraq together, and they nearly died together on Nov. 15, 2004, when their humvee was blown up by an antitank mine. Beatty, a staff sergeant, was riding shotgun; Gallina, a specialist, was driving. The humvee flew 200 ft. (60 km) through the air and landed upside down. Beatty realized he was trapped, crushed, the only one still inside. Gallina had been thrown from the vehicle and was out cold. When he came to 45 minutes later,... <<
So proud of our Statesville heros! It's an honor to know them and be welcomed to share in thier vision.
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