ABSTRACT
Generation House contains a mix of spaces that can be tailored to family members of all ages, from children progressing into adulthood, to grandparents who still have active lifestyles. The building is currently divided into two households – one for a couple and their two children, and another for the maternal grandparents. With these different options planned from the outset, it was possible to design electrical and service systems to be easily divided – although in the end, van Oppen only did it for one other configuration. ‘Being in one family, it’s not going to be a major issue,’ he says, ‘but it would have been more elegant to be able to separate completely.’ Generation House offers ingenious solutions to the challenges that face every modern family. It shows how multigenerational living can become a long-term lifestyle choice, not just a temporary fix.
