Architectural Drawings: 7 Designs for Intergenerational Housing in Plan and Section

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In many contemporary cities, our daily environments are shaped by age segregation, often represented by facilities such as retirement homes, kindergartens and starter apartments. These environments spatially and socially divide generations, with consequences that are felt across all age groups: isolation, loneliness, and a disconnect between young and old.

Intergenerational and multigenerational living challenge this fragmentation through thoughtful architecture. While often used interchangeably, the distinction between the two is important. Multigenerational living typically refers to multiple generations of the same family sharing a home. Intergenerational living broadens the concept to include unrelated people of different ages, cohabiting or sharing communal spaces. This approach fosters daily encounters and mutual support.

Many contemporary residential models still prioritize privacy and efficiency at the expense of connection. Units are often isolated, only connected by uninviting circulation spaces that leave little room for spontaneous interaction. Yet, a growing number of architects are rethinking these precepts. Drawing inspiration from vernacular traditions, such as courtyard homes or co-housing, they are designing flexible units, active circulation areas and shared amenities that foster a sense of community across age groups. These projects reflect a shifting paradigm in housing that values adaptability, mutual support, and intergenerational contact.

Urban Land Institute’s 2024 report, Making Multigenerational Communities Happen, highlights a clear demographic shift. It notes how the number of people living in multigenerational households has quadrupled in the last fifty years and emphasizes that current housing models rarely accommodate this reality. The report advocates for spaces that are not only flexible but also designed to spur interaction, including shared kitchens, laundromats, communal gardens and workshops. These environments support evolving family structures while promoting broader social connections.

The following projects exemplify this design direction. Some house extended families, others bring together unrelated individuals across generations. All respond to the growing need for housing models that promote connection, adaptability and mutual support in increasingly diverse urban communities.

STA | zwei+plus intergenerational living

By trans_city, Vienna, Austria

Zwei+plus is a subsidized, intergenerational social housing project that reimagines how people of different ages can live side by side with both independence and mutual support. It is designed for “tandem housing”— two separate but mutually supportive households, whether family or close friends, living in adjacent units.

Four L-shaped buildings frame lush courtyards, while the ground floor is dedicated to shared amenities — including a café, kindergarten, children’s playroom, laundromat, assisted living center, and community gardens — all designed to foster everyday interaction. A particularly thoughtful feature is the pairing of seniors with preschoolers in cooperative programs that encourage intergenerational connection through shared care and experience.

Circulation areas are treated as active social zones, and one-bedroom units include “raised verandas” that face communal galleries and invite casual conversation. The housing layouts are flexible, supporting a range of household types, from two single parents sharing common spaces to families incorporating an elderly member in a semi-independent suite. Zwei+plus demonstrates how architecture can nurture social bonds, creating not just housing, but a resilient, multigenerational community.

HAN – Residential Quarter Bothfelder Kirchweg/ Hanover

By AllesWirdGut, Hanover, Germany

Bothfelder Kirchweg blends intergenerational living with a deep respect for landscape and community. The core of the design is a shared public space that anchors the development and encourages social interaction. Five semi-public yards around this shared space act as thresholds between communal life and private gardens, echoing the spatial logic of traditional villages.

The architecture prioritizes social cohesion through clusters of L-shaped buildings organized around semi-public courtyards, offering intimate outdoor spaces. The housing mix is designed to support a broad range of residents: compact apartments for families and older adults are complemented by flexible, shared spaces, such as playrooms, workshops, guest suites and laundry rooms, encouraging daily interaction and mutual support.

Ground-floor units are fully accessible, reinforcing the goal of creating a neighborhood where people of all ages can cohabit. Through its approach to shared and private space, Bothfelder Kirchweg creates a small-scale community that invites residents to connect and thrive together across generations.

Fox Residence

By Horton Harper Architects, Cleveland, Ohio

Fox Residence responds to the evolving needs of a multigenerational family, set in the historic Duck Island neighborhood of Cleveland, Ohio. Surrounded by late 19th-century worker cottages and industrial riverfront views, the home honors its context and the occupants’ needs and aspirations.

Commissioned by a mother of three daughters, the house is designed to support intergenerational living. The project is composed of two buildings: a main house and a carriage house situated on adjacent lots once occupied by separate homes. A single-story connector links the two buildings, serving as the main entrance.

Each generation occupies a different level within the two houses, with the ground floor of the main house serving as a shared gathering space. Within these layers, each living quarter is tailored to its occupants’ needs, offering a custom arrangement of public, private, and transitional spaces. Through thoughtful design and spatial generosity, Fox Residence offers a resilient, adaptable model for multigenerational urban living that is both rooted and forward-looking.

Flexiblock

By INARO Integrated Architecture Office, Helsinki, Finland

Flexiblock offers a new typology that supports changing lifestyles, multigenerational living and economic adaptability, while reimagining the relationship between work and living in urban housing. The design introduces a two-level living concept, featuring a flexible workspace on the lower floor and residential space above, reflecting the planning tradition of Helsinki’s Malminkartano district, where the integration of work and living spaces has long been a cornerstone. This configuration accommodates a variety of uses, from home offices or workshops to guest rooms or living quarters for aging family members.

This design approach allows for spatial adaptation according to the evolving household needs. Circulation areas in Flexiblock go beyond mere functionality; they serve as shared public spaces that foster interaction among neighbors, reinforcing the project’s goal to create a resilient, community-oriented housing model suited to the contemporary evolving demographics and work-life dynamics.

Three-Generation House

By BETA office for architecture and the city, Amsterdam, Netherlands

Three Generation House reimagines intergenerational living in a contemporary urban setting, responding to society’s shifting economic and social dynamics. In this context, the project offers a flexible model for a young couple and their aging parents, seeking closeness without sacrificing independence. The house stacks two separate yet connected apartments. The grandparents live on the fully accessible upper unit, while the younger family occupies the lower apartment, which has an office and access to a private garden. A shared entrance maintains privacy while allowing for daily interactions such as shared meals or occasional childcare.

The design anticipates future changes in family structure, enabling the home to adapt both physically and functionally to different cohabitation models. For instance, the upper apartment’s lower floor —originally intended for guests— can be incorporated into the lower unit or converted into studio spaces for adult children, allowing the layout to adapt as family needs evolve. This project demonstrates how architecture can support evolving intergenerational relationships within the constraints and possibilities of the modern city.

A House For Two Generations

By SUPER VOID SPACE, Tehran, Iran

A House for Two Generations is a renovation project that addresses the challenges of cohabitation between a modern, minimalist son and his tradition-oriented parents. The original space was stripped down to its core and reconfigured as a clean white shell containing distinct “boxes,” each tailored to a specific function and designed to reflect the family’s diverse tastes and values.

One of the boxes accommodates the kitchen and dining area, featuring warm wood and soft gray tones to create a comforting atmosphere for the mother, while preserving the son’s preference for openness and simplicity. The entrance seems to have been carved from the white shell. It pairs gray with exposed brick, a nod to the father’s taste. The son’s suite is functionally independent yet spatially integrated into the overall layout. It features a streamlined storage wall, a light-filled workspace, and blue-green accents, reflecting his personal aesthetic. The design embraces contrast as a creative driver rather than a compromise between two opposing tastes, allowing minimalist clarity and textured warmth to coexist in an intergenerational home.

Single_Multi Residence

By NOA Architects, Nicosia, Cyprus

Single_Multi Residence rethink the boundaries between private and communal living. The building features a wide range of unit types designed to accommodate diverse lifestyles, from a ground-floor three-bedroom residence with its own entrance, garden, and parking, evoking the feel of a standalone home, to compact one-bedroom units, family-friendly two-bedrooms and a generous four-bedroom penthouse. This variety invites a vibrant community of singles, couples, and families. A rooftop terrace with a pool and barbecue area brings neighbors together. With its thoughtful balance of independence and shared experience, Single_Multi Residence offers an adaptable and engaging model for collective living.

The winners of the 13th Architizer A+Awards have been announced! Looking ahead to next season? Stay up to date by subscribing to our A+Awards Newsletter.

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