In 2012, the New York Times reported that 18% of American households are multi-generational - with more than one adult or pair of adults living together. As a result, the construction of accessory dwelling units (ADUs) is growing steadily.
Accessory dwelling units are second houses built on single family lots, allowed by specific exception to most single family zoning ordinances.
At Warmmodern Living, we explore the notion of a detached or semi-attached independent living unit with every client. When we raise the concept early in our design exploration, over half of our clients make such a private retreat a highly desirable priority on their wish lists to be used as:
● An apartment for aging parents, young adults, or live-in help
● A home office that accommodates client appointments
● An art or music space for private or group practice or teaching
● A private place for poker playing, sporting event viewing and cigar smoking, monthly study groups, or cooking clubs
● A private suite for visiting guest families in vacation homes
While open floor plans enable greater flexibility, the notion of a well-planned and truly private living area– more than just an open loft or an extra bedroom – has become as important to many clients as large bathrooms, home offices, or family rooms.
Consider the Warmmodern Living home shown here. The client, a educator in Hong Kong, planned to build his retirement home on a Puget Sound island. He chose his retirement location with the hope of it becoming an attractive weekend, holiday, and vacation destination for his son’s young family, who live in Portland, Oregon.
Our client’s budget would provide for a warm and comfortable Lindal of about 1,300 square feet, but our concern was that a home of that size might pose a strain during frequent or extended stays for three generations of the same family.
Our solution, shown here, was to position a 450 square foot suite that is linked to dad’s house by a three-season porch/entry. The suite, which can be accessed without entering the main house, contains a bedroom and a second space with kitchenette, in which several children can play or sleep or the son’s family can relax.
We’ll share other recent projects that present different methods of creating privacy through thoughtfullyplanned independent living units in the three upcoming blogs.
NOTE: We are pleased to report that the Warmmodern Living custom design featured here has been selected for inclusion in the Lindal Elements portfolio as the Hawthorne 1320. See it on Lindal.com by signing up to view the Lindal Elements Plan Book: http://lindal.com/ebooks/
