When Jackie and Jonathan Orent realized it was time to move , one requirement topped their must-haves : a single-level floor plan that would allow their son to live like everyone else in the house . Ben , nine , has cerebral palsy and is on the autism spectrum , and because he ’ s in a wheelchair , Jackie had to carry him up and down the stairs of their two-story Colonial in Pawtucket .
As Ben got older and heavier , the family ’ s priority to find a more comfortable living space became pressing . When the Orents spied a 1960s ranch near the Barrington bike path , they decided an imaginative renovation could turn it into a home that would work for everyone .
“ They wanted Ben to have access to every part of the house ,” says Pat Connors of Brewster Thornton Group Architects , who led the project and has years of related design experience . Since Ben needs constant monitoring , other items on the parents ’ checklist included a kitchen with good sight lines into the dining and playrooms , an accessible bedroom and bathroom , and doorways with a five-foot turning radius . “ We wanted a cozy , casual house where Ben could have his freedom ,” Jackie says . “ We also didn ’ t want that institutional look .”
80 RHODE ISLAND MONTHLY l NOVEMBER 2021