It is bold and innovative in its function, resilient in its use. It elevates accessibility, durability and sustainability so that they become necessities. It serves as a representation of contemporary society even as it looks to serve the needs of the future. It does not aim to please as many people as possible, though it will serve them all.

At its root, universal design springs from the same principles as any other design. At first glance, modern houses designed with these principles should be indistinguishable from their non-universal neighbors.

Universal design means more than design that improves a building's accessibility. To be sure, housing that starts from these principles must serve its residents regardless of their physical abilities, and it must continue to function as those abilities change over time.

A house ceases to be universal when it fails to work for its inhabitants and, moreover, when it fails to serve society at large. The tenets of universality must extend beyond the walls of the house itself and into the context of the broader world. Before a design can be called universal, it must be environmentally sensitive, easily maintainable and functionally adaptable to a changing society.

An open floor plan is not only free of barriers for ease of accessibility, but it also encourages natural means of ventilation for the space. A durable material palette and low maintenance landscaping both promote environmentally responsible solutions and limit the amount of upkeep required of residents.

Universal housing must not discriminate, and it is appropriate that a community of such houses be built in a neighborhood as racially and ethnically varied as North Lawndale. Four racial groups are each represented by more than 100 families in the community, according to the most recent census.

For all its principles, universal housing design must never ignore the needs of its residents. This is universality at its most democratic: serving the needs of the many with design that is sensitive to the individual.

The question of style need not enter the discussion. The universal house transcends the way a house looks by focusing on how it works.