One of the key innovations in housing within the twenty first century was the widespread adoption of the multi-generational house. These took various forms, for example in Japan, with the adoption of mortgages that would be paid off over successive generations, high land prices, and the tradition of relatively small land prices, the actual house might not look all that unusual to western eyes.
Similarly within America, and amongst the very rich, where there was already a preparedness to live in houses with a very large aggregate area, with regular guests and perhaps live in servants, the multi-generational home might not appear so distinctive to their eyes.
However as a major building type, and method of living it became relatively common in Europe over the century proving more palatable and robust, for many, than the cohousing model, which was to remain relatively niche.
There is a degree of commonality around the multi-generational home. At the core tends to be a single level area that is available to the oldest residents. This has fixed services, the kitchen and bathroom facilities, but also has adaptable stud walls to create rooms. As these are stud walls they can be altered, however the walls themselves, and any doors or other building fabric, are built and finished to a good standard to provide effective sound insulation. In general access to this space is all on the level and amply sufficient to allow wheelchair access. However the fixed building still affords flexibility so that further alterations could be made to further improve accessibility. The ability to alter to suit changing needs is key to this whole ground floor area. It is relatively straightforward to increase space to improve accessibility, or to partition the area to create additional rooms, but the essential core of the building can remain familiar, as will its surroundings, allowing the degree of continuity that is invaluable for the elderly.
Although the ground floor is the apparent core of the building, in practice, from within, it tends to resemble a traditional bungalow, though those fonder of more open plan living can end up with a more loft style appearance. Additional habitation is available, at least two, perhaps more, separate dwellings are provided. These will tend to both be contained within the overall floor space of the ground floor, and form the first floor. These are each independently accessed, in the main they are separated by a structural load bearing wall, but there are stud work gaps within this that would allow for doorways. The kitchen and other living spaces are smaller than those on the ground floor, however as those on the ground floor are on the large size, those on the second floor are still of an acceptable size. For the first floor dwellings flexibility is less of a priority and the rooms tend to be fairly fixed. Where possible a central atrium or courtyard is maintained at the centre of the house and even where a lift is not in place, space sufficient to install one is left available.
In addition to the flexibility over installing a lift, the second floor is not necessarily envisaged as the top floor. From the street the houses all have the appearance of a three storey building even where they only have two, because the exterior walls continue above the second floor to provide the walls of a possible third floor. Where there is no requirement for a third floor the space forms a roof garden, or an awning can be used to create semi sheltered workspace or storage space. Where additional rooms are required the space can be readily converted, as elsewhere the walls are a mix of structural and temporary, with the temporary being easily removed to create windows. By retaining these apparently surplus exterior walls, the buildings are not only easily expandable but are generally robust to any changes in planning policy, as the can be expanded without any alteration to the building footprint or outward appearance.
In general the multi-generational home appears to be no different from the local vernacular, although it may appear to be slightly larger than some houses. They are generally set on reasonable sized building plots, but this size is there to provide flexibility, for example car parking, bin storage, the ability to provide a vegetable plot or children’s play area, rather than to provide extensive grounds that require maintenance. Therefore depending on the preferences of the occupants the outdoor space might provide an attractive but high maintenance garden, or be mono blocked to provide ample parking or house a skip and outdoor storage for building supplies for a tradesman that works from home.
A multi-generational house will generally be set somewhere that is not unduly remote, with ready access to local services, both those for the young and for the old. They can therefore be expensive and that is why flexibility and a modular approach are key. They are never particularly high specification buildings, instead they are robust and built to last. They are often built by a working couple as they approach retirement, with the ground floor being envisaged as their forever home. It is possible to simply finish the ground floor, and leave the remaining elements unbuilt until required. The independent houses above can be occupied by grown up children, other relatives, or indeed let out to form a source of income. There is adequate space for a communal approach, for example large meals can easily be accommodated, alternatively separate living rooms are provided, so that residents can easily entertain themselves and others in the context of their larger setting or independently.
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