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As a third party, the architect or designer becomes a facilitator and explorer of ideas, and someone who can respond intimately and accurately to each need presented. Such a role is becoming all the more important when we begin to understand that multi-generational living is as much a process of psychological change as it is a physical one. Building a home is a big task, but having to do renovations down the line can be extremely costly. So it’s best to do it now if you’re thinking about building your new home.
Perhaps that guest bedroom can be repurposed as a teenagers’ retreat and then a home office. Or maybe that seldom-used lounge and powder room on the ground floor could be closed off and converted into a bedroom suite for older family members with mobility issues. Intergenerational living is by no means a new concept, in fact it is a very traditional way of living and considered the norm in many cultures. For example in Italy, more than 65% of people aged live at home with their parents according to the latest data from Eurostat. Across the Middle East and Africa as well many young adults live with their parents since familial bonds are so highly valued.
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A split level home takes full advantage of all the space available on your land and is a cost-effective way to build a multigenerational home while still enjoying the benefits of a backyard and a spacious home design. Split level homes are a great option for families who still want to live under one roof while still enjoying their own space on different floors within the home. One of the main differences between traditional home designs and intergenerational home designs are the bedroom designs. Our intergenerational home design range all have two master bedrooms, one upstairs and one downstairs.
However, rather than a complete segregation of rooms and members, many families are now aiming to intersperse specific areas for tasks that require quiet time, amongst larger communal areas. To achieve this, spaces often rely on arrangements of task-specific furnishings, sliding partitions or even angles that shield the activities from broader sight. And while most of us think it will be the adults that require this sort of privacy, kids and teenagers often need to separate themselves from the family unit in order to develop a separate sense of self or a feeling of independence.
South Bank Intergenerational Home Design
With more than four million Australians currently living in multigenerational homes, it essentially means the household contains two or more generations under the one roof. However, simply resorting to an open plan design runs the risk of the family conforming to the house, rather than the house suiting the family. Semi-open-plan designs can be a great solution, providing a sense of space while allowing different activities, different experiences and different moods to be experienced. Little things like changing ceiling heights, incorporating different floor and wall materials and altering designs cues such as lighting, can do wonders when giving spaces different expressions.
If we were to connect that exact same 70 square metres of living area to an existing house plan, we eliminate or partly remove a huge amount of costs. What this means to the paying customer, is we can produce a secondary living area somewhere between $25,000 to $60,000. When comparing a multi generational home to building a granny flat in the backyard, there are real savings to be had.
Multigenerational Homes
For instance, a large open kitchen, with ample preparation and storage space, allows family members to prepare and consume their meals at any time of day while not affecting other family members. Working together can also be helped in this way – so that while children might be having an early dinner, adults can be preparing another meal and grandparents could be making lunches for the next day. It has given families, architects and designers a host of new options when planning a house’s lifecycle – paving the way to radically change the way we view the built environment. The new age of multi-gen design enables families to future proof their homes, rooms are able to be converted into what the family needs are at that moment. A kids rumpus room may become a theater and then in time become a grandparents retreat. Making sure there is a bedroom on the lower level, for example, is one way to future proof the house.
And on the flip side, there may be things you need in the coming years that aren’t particularly necessary now. But when building a multi-generational home, it’s crucial to think ahead. It may be a tad more expensive now, but fixing and renovating rooms down the line is a lot more costly than investing more upfront for the initial build stage.
It is also customary in many of these cultures for young adults to live with their parents until they are ready for marriage. As teenagers mature, they may need to stay at home longer to save more money or they may be doing higher education. Going from a kid’s bedroom to moving out into your own home is a large step for anyone.
The was set at the front and open as a garage was not allowed by the council so the home was connected to the primary street. Unlike our other designs that offer two completely independent living areas, a Multi-Gen home is designed around multiple uses for the family featuring a door sectioned between so both parties can always stay in contact. In a nutshell, it is a family driven secondary living area with full amenities often termed "Multi Gen".
But rather than an afterthought, a focus on universal design helps create a home that can be used by people of all ages, abilities and mobility levels, without the need for adaptation or specialised interventions. For many, this will include the removal of steps and split levels, the provision of wide corridors and open spaces as well as the use of sliding doors and non-slip surfaces. Bathrooms and toilets in particular must be cleverly thought through, to ensure comfort and safety, while still managing to be aesthetically pleasing.
While the older generation may be able to walk up and down stairs currently, in a few years time, they may wish to remain downstairs. Similarly, ensuring there is a full-service bathroom on the main living level is also a good idea. The added benefit here is that eventually, if the grandparents need or decide to go to another home, this can become a teenager’s room or even a parent’s retreat. But Australian families are embracing multigenerational living at an increasing rate. Single-storey homes such as the Langdon have two master suites, one opposite a living space, making it easy to segment or make private from the rest of the home.
Double-storey homes like the Glendale and the Savannah have up to four living spaces so that there's room for everyone to retreat and relax. At Rawson Homes, we’ve kept the trend towards multigenerational living front of mind when designing homes that can accommodate different age groups and lifestyles without compromising on privacy or comfort. At G.J. Gardner Homes, we have always offered personalised services to modify existing plans to suit any family situation, for example, adding granny flats for family members with differing requirements. This way, our home designs can meet more specific niches and be designed for specific client requirements. Multigenerational housing provides daily interaction without having to leave the house or access a home visiting program. This not only benefits older generations but also young adults and adolescents who are observed to experience similar issues with isolation.
When planning for multiple functions, the trick is not to design or customise an area to the point where it can’t be modified. A bedroom should be able to become a study, then a play-room, then a media room and respond to the families’ needs over time. Forward planning of utilities such as plumbing and electrical wiring, even internal framing, is therefore crucial, and can potentially save costly renovations in the future. If you can, have an ability to transform a living space into a bedroom if needed for grandparents if you don’t have a bedroom downstairs. Be prepared your formal lounge or theatre room might have to be closed for an additional bedroom. There is much for the younger generation to learn from the older one, and vice versa, and lifelong memories are made.
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