Since the first known use the term 'nuclear family' in 1941 (defined by George Murdock as "a social group characterized by common residence, economic cooperation and reproduction[,] contain[ing] adults of both sexes, at least two of whom maintain a socially approved sexual relationship, and one or more children, own or adopted, of the sexually cohabiting adults), the common American perception of what constitutes a normal living situation has required serious revision.
Not only has the narrow definition of a 'family unit' failed to describe a significant number of households in the United States; it has also halted construction of housing units which may serve to foster families which do not fit the above description.
Very few American cities, for instance, allow for the construction of homes for 'grandfamilies,' defined as "families in which children reside with and are being raised by grandparents, other extended family members, and adults with whom they have a close family-like relationship, such as godparents and close family friends.
Grandfamilies, a housing proposal by architects Daniel Marshall and Sera Tolgay, two recent graduates of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), seeks to tackle the often-overlooked issue of intergenerational housing. When reviewing the goals of Seniors First, an initiative launched by New York City mayor Bill de Blasio's administration and the city's Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) to make more homes accessible to seniors and people with disabilities, they saw an opportunity to offer something other than traditional senior housing: "rather than siloing our aging citizens to senior-only housing enclaves, we can develop new typologies that bring together different generations and reflect the diversity of New Yorkers’ needs" in the form of one, two and three bedroom units.
Intergenerational housing can prove to be advantageous for all of the members involved: "when crisis strikes a family," Marshall and Tolgay write, "and parents become unable to care for their children, grandparents often take on the responsibility." Every member of the unit, in other words, can potentially benefit from a 'non-traditional' family unit and a commensurately non-traditional home layout. The proposal includes multiple shared spaces throughout, "including a shared library and common room on the ground floor as well as a shared roofgarden." The library is imagined as a space to rent not only books, but also a wide range of items, including cleaning and art supplies, as well as a space in which grandparents can take on a guardian role with their grandchildren outside of their apartments.
In response to New York City's increasing building density, Marshall and Tolgay's designs are intended "to fit on narrow lots in New York that are owned by the city but not easy to develop." Given that there is a rising senior population which faces increasingly high rents in New York City, a proposal for intergenerational housing can't come soon enough.
4 Comments
"3 generation house
Until the Second World War, inter-generational living was a common phenomenon in The Netherlands. With the advent of the Welfare State in the 60’s and 70’s, it became common for families to split up geographically. Changing political and economic times now require Western societies to reconsider this situation."
https://beta-office.com/projec...
thanks randomised. this project is amazing. love the open facade towards the private yard — only wished there was a more open interface towards the street and the rest of the neighborhood.
I love the house, but you (friend) wishing it was open to the street is out of tune with what most peolple want. Privacy is not a bad thing. Why are architects insistent on “open to the public”? I would never want my house open to the street. That’s weird.
Is this an American version of a housing system that can inhabit a multi generational family?
What would be the difference between a box apartment and a multi level, blah blah blah with a garden overlooking (......) with a cherry on top?
This is a social and cultural problem not an Architectural problem... We could say Architecture can be an answer to how we interact and House our elder generation, Make some money on that, branding our selves as designers that think consciously and let’s throw a few words in there like transparent and culture....
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