WellesleyWeston Magazine

SUMMER 2017

Launched in 2005, WellesleyWeston Magazine is a quarterly publication tailored to Wellesley and Weston residents and edited to enrich the experience of living in two of Massachusetts' most desirable communities.

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Design details can also aid seniors who have vision, balance, and mobility problems. Through "wayfinding," Catlin said, people who might otherwise meander are subtly guided by changes in the texture, pattern, and color of flooring materials. The floors in the kitchen and bathrooms will be made of linoleum rather than ceramic, reducing the risk of a fall leading to a broken bone. The studio for dance and other move- ment activities will have a maple floor set on a foam slab, another construction detail to cushion falls. To avert collisions, contrasting colors will highlight door frames and jambs, and frosted bands will be strategically placed across doors and picture windows. Noting that people over age 60 require illumination three times brighter than those who are 30, Catlin said that lighting will be tailored to the activity. Warm, energy-effi- cient LED bulbs will be used instead of fluo- rescent lighting, which tends to cast faces in a green tinge. By day, though, the light pour- ing out of many ceiling fixtures — even some on the first floor — will come from the most natural source of all: the sun. Solatube, which consists of highly reflective cylinders, can funnel light 30 to 40 feet from rooftop openings. * * * Just as he has cannily worked safety into his design, Catlin has included "stealth" tech- niques to encourage people to move about and try new activities. 109 W e l l e s l e y W e s t o n M a g a z i n e | s u m m e r 2 0 1 7

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