IDEAL HOME’S RESIDENT ARCHITECTURAL DESIGNER CHARLIE LUXTON SHARES HIS DESIGN KNOW-HOW
The current and historically high cost of housing is causing a shift in the way we live. Whether it’s boomerang kids leaving and then returning home for years on end, or the cost of social care making living with ageing parents a necessity, the multigeneration home is making a comeback.
For thousands of years, as it remains in many parts of the world, large inter-generational homes were the norm. Sharing resources, from food and income to childcare and manual labour, made everyone living together more cost effective and, in the past, was the only option for all but the wealthy few.
It’s becoming increasingly common for families these days, too. It is estimated there are over 1.3 million households that have a grandparent living with them. A recent survey found that houses with three generations of adults living together has jumped 50% in five years. One day, we may well look back at the nuclear family home of the late-20th century as a blip in the long arc of human history!
Given the rise of loneliness and longer life, I see this as a great opportunity for improvements in how we live. I grew up from the age of nine with two brothers, parents and grandparents, not to mention dogs, a cat, geese, chickens, a rabbit, a horse and a donkey called Jacko.
I have very fond memories of this busy set up, with my grandparents being a core part of my childhood, but discipline was key to everyone’s sanity. Between the two parts of our home was a connecting door. And this door needed to be respected. Going through it meant you wanted something. This may have only been a biscuit and a chat but opening it was a conscious act. Our households had rhythms and boundaries which allowed for space, despite everyone’s proximity.
Clarity around rules and boundaries in a shared home is critical to happiness, sanity and longevity. And so is sound insulation! Anyone who has had a noisy neighbour or flatmate will know that hearing what the person next door is watching on TV or thinking of cooking next weekend is never good. There are plenty of ways to deal with noise. And when making alterations to your home to accommodate another generation, it should be
