David Traut

After extensive research and observation throughout his long, multi-faceted building career, David L. Traut, the Owner/President of T-Square Company, recognizes the concept of Universal Design as the future of home building and remodeling. David based his Universal Design knowledge and recommendations on his building experiences dealing with accessibility in the private sector and his many successful HUD and VA jobs in and around Austin. He wrote "Age in Place at Home: Adapting the Home Environment For All Generations" following many requests from his customer base, who desired to share his guidance and knowledge with friends and other family members. He further intends the book to open the eyes of builders, caretakers, designers, and architects. David's accreditation in Universal Design from the NAHB and the Centre for Universal Design Australia allows him to design for the future. He does not possess degrees in architecture or interior design but is a master builder and craftsman with over 30 years of on-the-job training, practical design knowledge, and experience. He based his higher education on hard science at The University of Texas at Austin in neurophysiology. David performed research funded by The Muscular Dystrophy Foundation through NIH, with his newly discovered results published in "The Journal of Comparative Physiology." David is a nationally registered Certified Aging in Place Specialist or CAPS. His building experiences substantiate that Aging in Place is not completely age-related, dealing with homeowners and their families exhibiting diverse life experiences of all ages and abilities. The proposed accessibility improvements must be appropriate for those needing them most. David has the knowledge and ability to pair his accessible and inclusive designs with his client's present and future physical needs. He successfully incorporates the Principles of Universal Design into all his design/build projects. David has passionately practiced this approach to accessible housing for over three decades. After visiting hundreds of client houses, he acknowledged accessibility issues are repetitively common in traditional homes. He believes we can adapt the existing home environment for all generations and skill levels using correct designs in the remodeling industry, but why must this be necessary to live and comfortably age? Universal Design reduces the sudden future need for customized home accessibility modification for Aging in Place because increased accessibility is a by-product of the design process. Houses become adaptable to their inhabitant's needs. The elements of Universal Design can be inserted into inaccessible traditional homes gradually during periodic remodels or additions. The entire family, including seated adults and children, enjoy the inclusiveness, safety, convenience, and usability of the Universal Design process offering homes adaptable for people of all sizes and abilities. "Why not be proactive and prepare your home for the future? IT JUST MAKES GOOD SENSE!" David's independent research, ongoing construction projects, and guest appearances keep his interest in more adaptable future home solutions. He performs speaking engagements to organizations like MS, ALS, Parkinson's, and various senior groups and works with his aging and disabled clients concerning home modifications and increased accessibility. David writes a construction blog on his company website at https://www.tsquareco.com concerning various topics and articles on Aging in Place and Universal Design with a large following. He was published in "The Austin American Statesman" in 2019 for an article on "Homes Trending Forward with Universal Design." He was published again in 2022 in "Creating a Home for All Ages." His professional colleagues and private homeowners in and out of the community needing accessibility, guidance, and consultation seek his knowledgeable advice. David lives in Dripping Springs, Texas, just outside Austin, in a home, he designed and built with his beautiful wife, Kelly. Being an outdoor person, David enjoys intensive organic gardening in raised beds. A pastoral setting forms the centerpiece of the Traut front yard, where he enjoys his Koi pond's soothing sounds created by the stream and waterfalls while thinking and daydreaming in the hammock.