Property Profiles
Street Smarts
Whether it’s a granny flat, carriage house or extended garage apartment, nifty spaces are being designed for multi-generational living.

There’s a new ‘ism’ afoot. The term ‘New Urbanism’ is fast becoming part of the residential housing market lexicon.

Simply put, it’s the new wave of building a community within a community. “We like to think of it as a master-planned development where all amenities are within walking distance,” says Kevin Enyeart, vice president of development for Gale Communities’ New Longview property in Lee’s Summit.

In tandem with this concept is how these self-contained ‘villages’ are being designed. Kevin asserts, “The sustainability factor is three-fold: build smart, build up and build dense.”

Utilizing space above space — creating density — is not new. Cities used to be built this way until suburban sprawl hit in the l960s, causing residential livability, particularly in the urban core, to dissipate.

“Stand by for a revival,” acknowledges Paul Daly, president of Daly Homes. As a developer, he endorses the concept of building smartly for the future. “The crux of the matter is proximity while maintaining privacy. Build a detached carriage house or attached living quarters. Outfit the quarters with intercom and all the conveniences of an apartment, and a solution is at hand.”

Many cultures embrace and revere seniors who are expected to live with the nuclear family. In an unprecedented shift, multi-generational living is just now gaining acceptance in American culture. 

Whether it’s because the baby boomers are so compassionate and have a bigger conscience or whether people are living longer, the bottom line is that they hate to see their own parents dumped into an ‘old age’ home to wither away.

Builders and developers are listening. New Longview’s carriage homes are the perfect example of New Urbanism in motion. “Over the course of the build-out in seven or eight years, there will be approximately 1,100 residences,” Kevin cites. “There are plenty of detached family homes within the development comprised of single and two-parent families, ‘transitionals’ (the over-60 set) and both Gen X and Gen Y.  Our carriage houses, built over two- and three-car garages, are addressing the space issue. Containing living, dining and bedroom, kitchen and bath at 600- to 800-square feet, New Longview’s carriage homes optimize an independent living choice.”

In the parlance of professional planners, these Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) are not new. “‘Granny flats’ is a term borrowed from the English for an apartment adjacent to the actual living space, mother-in-law suites, housing above the garage — all of these terms are coming into the fold as viable means to address this multi-generational living that is now upon us,” says Maggie Bauer with Design Build Team. 

Sue Belzer and her husband, Irv, recently moved from a high-rise into an older home in the Brookside neighborhood. “We decided the lot was great; however, the existing house was not…but it had so much potential.” 

Rather than tear down the home, they chose to gut it and renovate, building an entirely new classy office, complete with adjoining porch for Irv. With easy access to the adjacent workout room, refurbished from an extra bedroom, these empty nesters have utilized building up and building smart. Will they use it one day as a mother-in-law quarters since it has a bedroom and bath on the same level? “Perhaps,” Sue answers.

Connie Jurgens is always utilizing her detached ‘studio,’ as she calls it. Her apartment sits in back of her l9th-century Victorian in Weston that she has shared with her husband for the past 27 years.

“Since I am a photographer, I use the space in my studio for colorizing my photos,” she explains. “The light is much better out here, and I can work in total solitude.”

Her studio is actually a completely functional suite. The antique-filled space, equipped with a full kitchen and bathroom, sitting room, bunkroom and a full-size interior Jacuzzi, is an enviable roost for the Jurgens and visiting family members. Additionally, with a bed and breakfast on her property, Connie seeks to entertain her guests in absolute comfort. “We decided it was appropriate to build the B&B with an adjacent garage. Open the garage door and there’s room for the cars and, believe it or not, a tidy space for guests to sit and have coffee at bistro tables scattered about.” 

Further, she has built her dark room into the area at the back of the garage. “The entire garage, with cars and adjoining full-service B&B, is very functional for me and my guests,” she says.

One former Sunset Hill couple had their detached vintage horse and buggy carriage house turned into a contemporary office for the wife. The lower floor was basically untouched and still useable for the family cars, while the upstairs, accessed by the building’s interior stairs, was converted into an uncluttered retreat. The minimal space, consisting of approximately 300 square feet, uses glass-topped furnishings to increase the visual space.

“You’re going to see more and more of this type of dwelling being carved out of niches within a home and built to suit multi-generational families,” says Interior Designer Chris Grandmontagne. “Maybe the baby boomers are laying the groundwork for our own senior years…hint, hint to all of our children who need to listen up!”