Qualified Remodeler Magazine

JUN 2015

Qualified Remodeler helps independent remodeling firms to survive, become more professional and more profitable by providing must-have business information, namely best business practices, new product information and timely design ideas.

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construction materials. EMNARI became a resource for fnding people to donate materials and volunteers during construction. Te build took place over a weekend and included closing of the stairwell area, squar- ing of the space that previously led straight to the kitchen, replacing car- peting with fooring to help make the room hypoallergenic, and the building of a custom closet system to store Colby's therapy materials and personal items. One concern of the project, Wilson says, was mak- ing sure the space felt like a child's room, not a sterile, hospital-like environment. Several touches were added specifcally for Colby, like the bedspread and graphics. "Te blue on the walls is his favorite color. He wanted some additional seating because people tend to come visit him in his room, so there's a custom bench by the window for people to be able to sit and enjoy spending time with him," she says. "Te light above the bed was meant to be task lighting so he can read in bed or his mom can see to New England Design + Construction C olby's favorite movie is Te Lego Movie, which New England Design + Construction (NEDC), Boston, took into account when putting the fnal touches on his room remodel through the Room to Dream Foundation. "Te Lego Movie is one of his favorite movies, and the bedspread and large format graphics refect that," explains Kara Wilson, LEED AP, director of business development. Te Room to Dream Foundation pairs volunteers from the building industry with families of chronically ill chil- dren to create spaces to make the child feel special and improve their quality of life. Wilson explains medical professionals in the local children's hospitals recommend families who then apply to the foundation. Once the application has been reviewed and approved, a family is paired with a team like NEDC. Trough partnering with Shawmut Construction and EMNARI, NEDC converted a frst-foor living room space into a bedroom for Colby. "Colby's bedroom was on the second foor, and he was going to be having some pretty invasive hip surgery that was going to prevent him from using his second-foor bedroom for a long time. We transformed the living room on the frst-foor into an enclosed bedroom that is a much healthier healing environment for him after his surgery," Wilson says. "We met with his family and went through a checklist of what does he need, what type of clearance does he need for his wheelchair, what type of storage does he need, are there special tools (for his care or therapy) that need a strange amount of space, but we really got to know what his needs were before starting in on the design of the project." Wilson handled most of the design work for the project with input from others on the NEDC design team. Te company also contributed project management, several lead carpenters during construction and funded all the Skills to Help Community service eforts beneft individuals and communities, spread the word about a particular need or charity and help shine a positive light on the remodeling industry By Kacey Larsen Photos: OnSiteStudios.com New England Design + Construction transformed a first- floor living space into a child's bedroom to accommodate medical needs. SPECIAL REPORT: Community Service 28 June 2015 QR QualifiedRemodeler.com | ForResidentialPros.com

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