美国亚历山大市（弗吉尼亚州）一对老夫妇Tim和Annie25年前搬进了他们现住的地方。
　　Tim笑着说：“这幢房子是我们以前房子面积的2倍，我们一直没有缩小它的面积。”
　　搬到这里之前，Tim夫妇在Lincolnia公园住了19年，之后于1985年搬到了现在的住处颐养天年。他们希望过一种不再成天修修补补的生活。
　　不过之后，Annie因患病行动不便，他们开始遇到了问题：这间有4层、4400平方英尺的房子足够宽敞，可上下楼渐渐对于他们来说不再方便。
　　Annie说：“我感觉上楼梯很费劲，客厅和洗衣房在一层，可卧室却在楼上。”
　　房间一层没有足够大的于是供Annie康复，这对夫妇也考虑到了他们之后会面临的健康问题。
　　最终，他们决定让一位私交甚密的建筑师朋友Arif Hodzic来为他们制定一个安装电梯的计划。
　　Tim说：“设计的第一步是要安装包裹电梯的外墙，不过这个计划被我们否定了，因为一部内置的液压电梯会占用房间很大的空间。”
　　Hodzic又建议这对夫妇可以考虑使用气动电梯，之前Hodzic刚刚在Annapolis市（马里兰州首府）一家公寓里安装了一台由Daytona电梯公司生产的气动电梯。气动电梯依靠一个独立的真空泵提升电梯厢至楼上，然后通过减小气压再回到一层。
　　Daytona电梯公司总裁Dawn O'Connor说：“我们共在北美地区安装了超过200部气动电梯，单在华盛顿区就装了12部。气动电梯是多层住宅的理想选择，因为其设计紧凑，外形小巧，便于安装。”Daytona电梯公司总部位于佛罗里达州，已有25年历史。
　　她还表示，一部电梯可使一座房子的价值提高10%。
　　Tim夫妇非常喜欢Daytona气动电梯的技术理念和小巧外形，他们最终决定安装一部。安装工程由Arif Hodzic的儿子Branko Hodzic负责。
　　Branko Hodzic说：“电梯安装的第一个难题是选择电梯安装地点。气动电梯最多能上到三层，Tim夫妇就决定让电梯在地下室、一层和二层之间运行。”
　　安装工程还需要迁移地下室的一处酒吧柜台，以及重新设计二层的卧室橱柜，这样才能为电梯腾出空间。房屋改造的具体方案现在正由Daytona电梯公司制定。
　　O'Connor 说：“安装每一部家用电梯之前都需要对房间进行特别改造，需要3到4个月时间，而电梯安装过程仅需1、2天。”
　　Annie说：“以前人们认为家用电梯是奢侈品，可随着年龄增大，爬楼梯变得困难。我们身边很多人都进了医院，所以我们决定做一些改变。”Annie已为家里安装了一台最好的电梯，为其以后需要使用时做好准备。

Alexandria townhouse retrofit gives couple the lift they need

　　Long-time Alexandria residents Tim and Annie Foster moved into what they hoped would be their "retirement home" more than 25 years ago, when their son left for college.
　　"We didn't downsize, since our new home was more than double the square footage of our other property," laughed Tim.
　　Although they had lived in their Lincolnia Park single-family home for more than 19 years, the move in 1985 to a new town home community a few miles away was prompted by the desire for a more maintenance-free lifestyle. At the time, the couple's plans were to continue to work, then eventually enjoy retirement in a home that would be the last they would purchase.
　　But when Annie had to have her hip replaced the couple started dealing with the same accessibility issues. At 4,400 square feet, the town home was spacious but spread over four floors.
　　"The stairs presented a real challenge," Annie said. "Our family room and laundry are located on the lower level and the master suite is on the second floor."
　　Without a full bath on the ground floor, the couple said there did not appear to be a practical way to configure the space during Annie's recuperation. They also began to think about other health issues that could present mobility challenges in the future.
　　Ultimately, they called on long-time friend Arif Hodzic, a Pasadena, Md., architect and who offered to develop plans for an elevator.
　　"The first design was an exterior addition that would enclose an elevator, but our homeowner association vetoed [that] and an interior hydraulic elevator would have eaten up just too much living space," Tim said.
　　Hodzic suggested the couple look at a pneumatic elevator installed in an addition he recently had completed in Annapolis. Manufactured by Daytona Elevator, the aluminum and polycarbonate (Plexiglass) self-supporting cylinder operates by vacuum pump, raising the elevator and occupant to the next floor and lowering itself through a slow release of air pressure.
　　"We've installed over 200 of these elevators across North America and about a dozen in the Washington, D.C., area," said Dawn O'Connor, president of the 25-year-old Florida based company. "A vacuum elevator is ideal for existing multilevel homes, due to the compact design and minimal construction required for installation."
　　The elevators generally increase a home's value by more than 10 percent, she added.
　　Favorably impressed with the elevator's technology and small footprint, the Fosters agreed to have one installed and Arif Hodzic's son, general contractor Branko Hodzic, took on the project.
　　"The first challenge was determining the best location for the elevator," the younger Hodzic said. "Since the elevator's range is limited to three floors, the Fosters elected to install [it] to serve the lower level, ground and second floors."
　　The plan required relocating a wet bar on the lower level and redesigning a bedroom closet on the second floor to fit the unit. Framing measurements were sent to the team at Daytona Elevator.
　　"Every elevator is custom manufactured to exact specifications and takes about three to four months to complete, with installation normally requiring just a day or two," O'Connor said.
　　The Fosters stayed in the home during the planning, construction and installation phases of the eight-month project.
　　"We once viewed home elevators as expensive and space-consuming and figured stair climbing was good exercise, not the high-risk experience that can come with age. Watching friends and family suddenly having to convert first floor living and powder rooms into hospital rooms convinced us that we needed to act," said Annie, who added the best time to install an elevator is before you can prove you need it.