Are Multigenerational Homes Influencing Building Trends?
Both production and custom builders are taking the multigenerational living trend seriously. For example, Garman Homes, Raleigh, N.C.-production builder just broke ground in the Chatham Park community with an "attainable" home product (affordable for most people in the area) meant to accommodate various family configurations.
Company founder and CEO Alaina Money Garman worked with Dahlin Group, an architecture and planning firm based in California, to create the 2,600 square foot concept home, which includes a guest suite off the front porch with a separate entry. Garman says her research showed that people were concerned about the ability to contain dirt and germs, and to be able to have an isolation space, whether for the homeowner, a guest, or a family member.
The master-planned Lakewood Ranch community includes sections such as the Lake Club with homes explicitly designed for multigenerational living. The community is located in the North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, Florida, metro region. Lakewood Ranch touts itself as "the #1 multi-gen community in the US" There are nearly 43,00 residents spread across 28 villages, two of which are 55+ age-restricted. There are schools (from pre-schools to colleges) and medical centers, trails and lakes, and various housing options.