HomeAid Northern California recently celebrated the dedication of Phase 1 of the Village at Walpert Center in Hayward, California for developmentally disabled seniors.  The Alameda county development, which will be fully completed in late summer 2010, will include 5 identical, 3,410 square foot homes with six bedrooms each. The homes, designed by KTGY Group, were designed to accommodate the special needs and abilities of the residents that would live there.  The design incorporated individual bedrooms, shared bath and a variety of universal design techniques.

"We wanted the residents to feel comfortable, like the homes they might have grown up in," said KTGY’s Jill Williams, AIA and Principal. "We incorporated a large living space for multiple activities, dining space for all the residents to congregate and a large kitchen with an island to allow multiple preparation areas and good flow.

“We have been very impressed by the enthusiasm, generosity and follow-through of the builder captains and their trade partners who adopted this project,” said Julie O’Connor, Executive Director of HomeAid Northern California. “They stayed the course through permit delays, weather issues, and the many challenges that come with coordinating dozens of separate companies to accomplish one goal.”

Approximately 50 percent of the cost of Village at Walpert Center Phase 1 came by way of donations with HEDCO Foundation donating $100,000 towards the foundations of the five homes.  Phase I, which is now ready for occupancy, consists of two 3,410-square-foot homes and is the culmination of four years of hard work by Builder Captains Pulte Group, Ponderosa Homes, Meritage Homes, and William Lyon Homes; with the assistance of Emerald Glen and The Walpert Center.