Your home should be a place of comfort and safety for you and your family. It should also be welcoming to friends, neighbors and extended family for get-togethers and holidays. Unfortunately, most homes are not designed or built with an all-inclusive perspective, and this means that many people are left out or trapped inside of homes.
But there is a way to design and build that is inclusive of people of all ages and abilities. Homes can be constructed so that everyone can easily get in and out of them, move around freely and enjoy being in the home with a minimum of effort. This style of construction goes by many names – Universal Design and accessible homes are just a few – and it’s not a new concept or difficult to implement.
And with a huge segment of our population known as Baby Boomers all turning 55 years old or older in 2019, this type of construction has been gaining in popularity with buyers, builders and product suppliers alike. Thanks to better education of design, acceptance of need and product innovations, what once looked cold and clinical is now normal and hard to notice. By implementing the right options and techniques a home built for everyone looks like any other home, but it works a lot better.
Three years ago, the Remodelers Council of the Building Industry Association of Central SC (BIA) saw a need to help builders and remodelers implement accessible design into their homes, and developed the Universal Living Certification program.
A checklist guides the builder/remodeler through basic, mandatory accessibility functions of a home to make it “visitable” by all – ease of entry from the outside and an accessible bathroom on the entry floor. From there, the program offers options to make the home livable for all on one floor or throughout the entire home. By following the checklist and having the home checked by a third-party verifier, the home receives a certification of Bronze, Silver or Gold based on what is included in the home.
The BIA is very pleased to have homes built to the Certified Universal Living program on this year’s TOUR OF HOMES. In fact, Home #1 – The Showcase Home in Northwoods Villas, Woodcreek Farms by Executive Construction Homes – is one of these certified homes. We’re also happy to report that all homes in Northwoods Villas are being designed and built to the program.
We encourage you to visit this home and learn more about all-inclusive building techniques. You’ll see what we think is the future of residential construction in South Carolina. A future where residents can be unencumbered, safe and comfortable throughout their entire lives.
Eddie and Shanna Yandle are the owners and founders of Executive Construction Homes. Eddie Yandle has been in the building industry his entire life. In 1985, Eddie started working full time with his father, George (Butch) Yandle, in the underground utilities business.
Eddie built his first personal home in 1989, soon after that he met his wife, Shanna. They quickly built four homes together and Eddie started the beginning of Executive Construction Homes, LLC. Eddie Yandle became focused on building with superior quality and enduring value. Shanna now serves as office manager while Eddie keeps busy in the field. Staying involved in the building process is very important to Eddie Yandle. From designing the home, to personally inspecting the details, Eddie ensures the home is what the customer expected at their purchase contract. Eddie and Shanna are now raising two beautiful children.
Continuing to be a responsible contributor to the community, Executive Construction Homes supports a variety of organizations.
Executive Construction Homes is recognized in the Directory of Professionals with Home Building Designations with the National Association of Homebuilders and received many endorsements and recommendations from their clients.
In 2012, Eddie Yandle has met all the requirements for membership and has been voted by the Master Builder Committee to be accepted as a Certified Master Builder of South Carolina (CMB). In order to reach this level, Yandle had to participate in 20 hours of continuing education, provide reference letters from customers and business associates, assure a one-year warranty on all his homes and show at least five years’ experience in home building. The education alone sets him apart from all other builders because the state of South Carolina does not require licensed builders to maintain any level of continuing education.
Eddie Yandle, of Executive Construction Homes is now one of the select groups of professionals nationwide to earn the Certified Green Professional (CGP) educational designation, identifying him as an Owner/Homebuilder with the skills and the best strategies for incorporating green building principles into new home and remodeling projects. The CGP curriculum includes three days of training from leading building industry practitioners and academics on a range of topics, including strategies for integrating green building principles into homes using cost-effective methods of construction.
Continuing to create custom homes, Executive Construction Homes is a builder in Columbia, Elgin, Lexington, Lake Murray, and Irmo. The professional staff works with a variety of floor plans, neighborhoods and is a respected homebuilder in South Carolina.
Executive Construction Homes, LLC is a multi award-winning builder being recognized by the Greater Columbia Home Builders Association. Eddie spends his free time not only with his family but other community related functions. Together the Yandles’ involvement in the Columbia, SC area has brought over 600 new homes to families as of January 2014.
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