multi-generational households on the rise

Downturns in the economy usually coincide with an increase the number of multigenerational households. But what's going on now is more than a recessionary blip. The fraction of the U.S. population 75 or older has increased from 5.2% in 1990 to 6.4% today. At the same time, the percentage of those 75 and up living in their adult children's homes has been climbing too, from 4.1% in 1990 to 6.5% today, reports Kelly Balistreri, associate director of the National Center for Marriage Research at Bowling Green State University. 

Schematic Design Phase - Wallingford Cottage

There are many financial aspects affecting the number of those living in multi-generational households.  These include the increasing costs of health care, in-home care, and child care.  While those living in multi-generational households will attest to the added challenges there are innumerable benefits that go well beyond financial gain.

Three generations of Mary K's family live in the Wallingford neighborhood of Seattle.  She now lives a number of hours drive away but hopes to move closer to her new great granddaughter.  How much closer? Into her daughter's back yard.  Seattle's recently expanded backyard cottage ordinance allows her to do just that.  Seattle and many other cities allow backyard cottages, detached accessory dwelling units, to share a lot with an existing primary residence. Mary K plans to build a tiny backyard cottage that will give her a comfortable place to live where she can be a more prominent part of her family’s life.  Her new kitchen window will look out on a shared garden and her cottage will feature a loft for her great granddaughter to play in.  She looks forward to taking her great granddaughter to the nearby woodland park zoo. 

No doubt Mary K’s family will appreciate the extra help as well.  Raising a child is expensive in no small part due to the cost of child care.  Many parents scramble to keep up a juggling act of work and child care schedules that result in children being raised by caregivers outside the family. In this day and age it seems the lucky exceptions that have family close enough to help out on a regular basis. 

Her backyard cottage will have another benefit as well.  Mary K will pay to construct the cottage from her savings.  It will be her home but will also be an asset for her daughter’s property.  When she no longer lives in the cottage it will become a source of rental income for the family, or perhaps her great granddaughter’s college apartment.

Mary K’s cottage is schedule to begin construction in the early spring.

puyallup approves cottage housing demonstration projects

A new kind of housing can be built in Puyallup under temporary rules recently approved by the City Council.  The demonstration ordinance, which has drawn debate at council sessions in recent months, allows up to three cottage housing projects over the next three years.

 “It’s my belief that our community needs some alternative housing,” said Councilman Kent Boyle, who supported the ordinance.  Some in attendance expressed concerns that cottage housing would result in an in appropriate amount of density, allowing developers to cram too many houses on a single lot. However, other municipalities including Seattle have experimented with demonstration programs that have resulted in some great projects.  Because the size and scale of cottage housing developments are often strictly limited,  the developments seldom feel too crowded. Furthermore, because they are grouped around common landscaped areas they often appear more open than the surrounding single family homes.  There are many fine examples of cottage housing scattered around the region.

 

These historic cottages on 16^th Ave in Seattle are 550 square feet and have one bedroom and one bath.  These 10 cottages share a double city lot and fit seamlessly into a neighborhood of other single family homes.  In this case they have only a small common area yet they still feel welcoming.  They were built for and still provide a great option for young professionals who want to be close to work, don’t need to much space, and don’t want to live in a sterile apartment building surrounded by parking.

Cottage housing can be adapted to meet the needs of specific groups.  Seniors have different needs than young professionals or families with children.  Cottage housing can be built around amenities that suit the needs of seniors and allow them to share some expenses while still maintaining independence. Charles Emlet, who’s on the city’s Aging in Place committee, told the council that cottage homes are a good option for older citizens. “Personally, I like the idea of cottage housing. My wife and I have talked about (one day) buying into such a community,” Emlet told a reporter before the meeting. “I like the idea of being connected to your neighbors.”  Many active seniors like having an opportunity to socialize and garden outside.  New cottages can also incorporate accessibility features that make it easier for seniors to live independently without the maintenance required for owning larger home .

Read more: http://blog.thenewstribune.com/street/2011/10/04/puyallup-council-approves-cottage-housing/#ixzz1bB67MKyQ

magnolia cottage takes shape

As we approach the beginning of October, construction of the Ben and January's backyard cottage is well underway.   The cottage will feature two bedrooms and one bath and will be used as a rental unit.


 

partner profile - ANR Landscape Design

Anri Rapelje is a landscape architect that we have worked with on a number of projects including the Magnolia Eco Cottage.  Landscape design is an important part of any small house design.  In this case, the cottage is located on a particularly difficult steep slope site with stringent environmental requirements.  Despite the constraints, Anri was able to create a beautiful, functional and affordable design.  The plantings should be going in late this fall and we will be updating or blog with photos as they become established.

Anri Rapelje - ANR Design

ANR Landscape Design


"Anri Rapelje is a licensed landscape architect with over 10 years of landscape design experience. Her company, ANR Landscape Design, LLC in Seattle offers quality landscape design services for residential and light commercial projects throughout the Puget Sound area. ANR offers logical and creative design solutions to transform urban gardens into stylish and functional outdoor living spaces.”

wenatchee proposes cottage housing

The Wenatchee City Council recently hear a presentation of proposed changes that will make it easier to build cottage housing among other projects. The council will vote on these changes in October.

Wenatchee is hoping that allowing cottage housing will encourage the infill of new homes. Infill developments utilize less municipal resources than construction in previously undeveloped areas. They also save forest and farm land and lend themselves to walkable communities. Cottage housing units are typically smaller than traditional houses usually under 1,200 sq. ft.  They make up for some of the lost square footage by creating inviting shared spaces and common amenities.  While cottage housing isn't for everyone. Those who do live in cottage housing developments enjoy the camaraderie of their neighbors.

One of the hurdles to cottage housing development is providing parking required by zoning codes.  The common areas on small lots can quickly become dominated by parking areas reducing the amount of land left over for landscaping and common areas. At the same time, Cottage housing developments because of their size and in city locations, tend to appeal to single occupant households, seniors, and those who use public transportation.  Wenatchee's proposed changes would also reduce the number of required parking spaces making cottage housing developments more viable.

Wenatchee Councilwoman Karen Rutherford said, “I would love to see one of these developments go in....I see this is as so important with the tight space we have in the city.”

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fremont kitchen featured

Our fremont kitchen is the kitchen of the week on Houzz.com check it out.  The project embodies many of the philosophies that we at Microhouse incorporate into our small house designs.

kitchen of the week

Our goal with this project was to come up with a design that would bridge the gap between the needs of a contemporary living and our 1920’s craftsman house.  The commonality that served as a departure point for me was the utilitarian nature inherent in both craftsman kitchens and modern design. For this reason I designed cabinets that emphasized clean lines, simple detailing and richness of reclaimed old growth fir.  I found the kitchen cabinet designs of famed famous architects Green and Green inspirational.

It is hard to describe the quality of sunlight in the Pacific Northwest but it is often muted, filtered by layers of clouds, and always precious.  For this reason the quantity and placement of windows was crucial. We concentrated the windows to the east and north enabling us to capture morning light and open out onto our patio and garden.  The small size of our house made the connection to the outside that much more important giving our kitchen an added expanse.  Rather than using above counter cabinets that would have limited the amount of windows, we created a “pantry wall” on the interior West wall.  This efficiently provides storage for bulk goods/ books and dishes.  We created another small group of open shelves adjacent to the refrigerator and adjacent to the dining room for every day plates and dishes. 

Using reclaimed materials was really important to us for many reasons not the least of which was sustainability.  The timeless quality of the old growth fir we used is apparent in its rich color and slight imperfections.  For the window construction we again used reclaimed fir for its straightness and durability.  The top sashes were obtained from local architectural salvage store. The bottom sashes built from fir and we went to great lengths to use reclaimed wavy glass which is particularly nice on the interior cabinet doors.  We also used reclaimed top nail oak flooring which enabled us to seamlessly match the new flooring areas with those of the existing house.  Where we didn’t use reclaimed materials like the granite counter tops we opted for durability. 

The kitchen table was created from a ships hatch that my father found on the beach way back in the 1960’s. It was fun to be able to incorporate this family relic into the design. The table frame was made from the fir studs taken from the wall that separated the original kitchen from the kitchen dining area.

The table is the focus of the kitchen.  It is a great place to idle away a rainy weekend morning with a cup of coffee watching the raindrops travel down the rain-chain just outside. Well at least it would be if we ever had idle mornings.  We built it to cabinet height so that it readily becomes an extra work surface. The person cooking usually sits on the stove side where it is easy to swivel between the stove and table.