Flexibility:Young professionals focus on the future

Home buyers seeking to build or buy their first home or condo might wish they had a crystal ball to see what the future will bring. The key for young couples is flexibility, says Brian Johnsen, architect and founding principle of Johnsen Schmaling Architects. "Planning out what your life will be is a very difficult thing to do," says Johnsen.

Designing multipurpose, flexible spaces is one way to meet future needs without anticipating every possibility. "The traditional home has to be completely rethought," Johnsen says.

One recent Johnsen Schmaling downtown condo project was designed for young professionals with several thoughts about their future housing needs, including the possibility of adopting a child or a parent living with them.

Johnsen says the firm met those needs by creating a day-to-day prime living zone area with a custom kitchen, dining room and solarium while creating an adjacent series of rooms, which included the master suite, master bath and two other rooms that could be used as guest rooms, a mother-in-law suite or an office or nursery. "Translucent sliding doors separate the rooms from the primary space, so each one of those rooms could be adapted to a specific need," Johnsen says.

Casual living is at the focus for young families as well, says Chris Frommell, vice president and director of architecture for Lakeside Development. "There needs to be space for the kids to unwind, to be close to mom and dad," he says.

Another big trend for families, says Jeff Brady, architectural designers with B&E Contractors, is the expanded mud room. The walls of the traditional breezeway between the garage and main living area have been pushed out to include everything from lockers and storage spaces to a bench for putting on shoes. Each person in the family might have their own space for daily storage, from backpacks to outerwear.

Dale Kolbeck, president of Architectural Homes by Anders, says he uses a 30-page questionnaire for all new home buyers in order to find out how the home design can reflect their lifestyles. The questionnaire covers everything from hobbies to entertaining.

Flexible spaces are important when planning ahead for a growing family, Frommell says. Some initial unfinished space can be finished later to create hangouts and space for teenagers and beyond. Bonus rooms over the garage and lower level spaces are ideal locations to create more space as the needs of the family change, he says.

"We try to keep the plan as flexible as we possibly can and look to the future on how different spaces could be reused or even added on as the family grows," says Kolbeck.

Accessibility:Midlife means attentionto details

Home buyers in midlife have different priorities and needs, and accessibility is at the top of the list. Whatever the current lifestyle may be, designing for future needs is important. Whether caring for an elderly parent or eventually dealing with their own long-term care needs, designing for future accessibility is best done at the beginning of the process.

Brady says one particular client focused on two specific needs during the design process. An avid entertainer, she wanted to make sure her house was fully equipped for catering services. However, she also wanted to build a suite for a potential care-giver should she require in-home care in the future.

The result, Brady says, was a large kitchen that backed up to a guest wing. The guest wing’s own kitchen, laundry, bathroom and two bedrooms ensured that the client’s guests and future caregivers would have their own space.

Important considerations for accessibility are door and hallway widths, counter height and zero threshold showers. More clearance and maneuverability in areas such as the kitchen is also important, says Johnsen. Kitchen cabinets can also be designed with removable bottom doors, in case a wheelchair-bound person needs to use the space.

Frommell says Lakeside Development has designed a number of homes with stacked walk-in closets on two floors with a knockout floor system. While the space serves as storage for now, the design allows for the addition of a residential elevator. "Will the clients ever use it? We don’t know, but planning for it structurally is important," Frommell says.

"We’re seeing more and more accessible design in all homes," says Kolbeck. "Many people want to age in their own home, and they want to plan ahead for it." m