A Definition

The bi-generation house is the type of construction sometimes considered to facilitate access to property for young adults ready to assume responsibility, or oftentimes by parents or grand-parents who are in need of assistance (loss of autonomy or other reasons).Whatever the situation, this type of construction allows each to preserve their way of living and conserve a certain intimacy, all the while enjoying the advantages of co-ownership and the close proximity of family members.

The particularity of bi-generation homes is the combination of the practical aspect of two homes to appear as one single-family or conventional home.  This permits integration of this type of construction in sectors where conventional multi-family units are not permitted.

The main challenge in this type of design is to bring together two independent interior layouts to look like one single conventional home where both layouts need to be private and functional, while respecting the needs of all the occupants.  As we will see later, municipal regulations are also an important element with which people must deal, but the first thing to do is determine the needs which brought us to consider this type of construction.

Style and Design

The design of a single family home is a procedure which requires a lot of attention and comprehension on the part of the home owners as well as the designer who will accompany them in their project.  This step is even more important and the challenge greater when combining the needs of two families, including one or more family members with restrained mobility or loss of autonomy.

When considering such a construction, it is of prime importance to take the time to evaluate your requirements and to consider these from the family viewpoint as well as those of parents or grand-parents.  We must also take into account the years to come and possible future needs.  Aging home owners or those in need of assistance should evaluate what their situation may be in years to come and foresee now what type of layout will best suit their lifestyle for both today and future.  It is at this step that we must consider all the elements which will make this home a comfortable, peaceful and pleasing haven for its occupants.

The choice of a trusted professional is also a key element to success in this type of design.  You should ensure that all the needs of the future occupants are taken into consideration and that satisfactory solutions are put forth for each.  A good designer must equally be able to offer judicious advice to a future home owner while remaining within a pre-established budget.

Another of the many advantages is that even though it is a bi-generation home with the look of a conventional single-family home, it can be harmonized with a sought-after style.  Amateurs of Victorian-, manor- or contemporary-style homes, it is certainly possible to adapt this type of home to one’s preferences, to get away from the multi-family unit options which the future home owners may possibly have already considered.

Pooling together both families’ resources greatly facilitates the purchases and maintenance of such a home and the bi-generation home offers without a doubt tranquil proximity, security and well being, including the joys of family life.
 

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In recent years, the residential construction industry has undergone an unprecedented growth, and it’s noteworthy that the province of Quebec has contributed more than ever to the record construction surge.

The relentless pace, which month after month continues to confound the experts, will, sooner or later, experience an inevitable slowdown. There are some very simple reasons why this will eventually occur: the rise in the cost of labour and building materials, combined with the gradual hike in mortgage rates will prompt people in this activity sector to reconsider their strategy.   

While the phenomenon is still in its infancy stage, it’s been happening for the last few months from a Canadian standpoint. It’s the direct result of housing prices, which, since the beginning of the new millennium, have spiralled, often beyond 50%. Some people see that as nothing but a good thing, even though the real-estate value of their home is practically wiped out by the proportional increase in costs of buying or building a new house.   

A growing number of home owners, however, prefer renovating their home,  financing the work through the equity that has been built up in their property.  Consequently, they avoid having to pull up stakes to go and live in a residential area that is likely to take a decade to mature from an urban development aspect. 

There are myriad reasons for sake-of-change renovation, as opposed to a straightforward move into another home. Usually, the decision is made once the children have left the family nest. Then it’s a matter of re-appropriating space, with practicality and comfort of the occupants in mind, by enlarging the living room or bathroom to set up your own peaceful oasis, by adding on a solarium or by finishing off a spare room above the garage.  

As residential designers, our knowledge of the housing sector and the need to oversee each of the stages one goes through in bringing a project to fruition has led us, more and more, to contribute not only to the development of plans to carry out the work, but also to play an active consulting role, thereby providing support service throughout the project, if need be.

All the more true, the renovation projects are becoming more sophisticated and expensive as lands and properties value are increasing.

It is no longer uncommon today, to turn a bungalow into a cottage and double the floor space of a home in order to maximize the value of a property located in an area in demand or on the edge of a water-course, for example. This type of transformation, we understand, requests an excellent planning for future use of space.  This is the task that is increasing more and more the workload for designers and creators specialized in residential construction.

If we add other determining factors such as the scarcity of land and urban sprawl, it is likely that the decline in starts of new homes will be largely offset by the major renovation projects in the next following months.

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