HOMEARAMA® Cincinnati 2018

MULTIGENERATIONAL, NOT MULTI-FAMILY
Local building and zoning regulations, which vary from community
to community, also influence the design of a multigenerational
home. To be considered a single-family home rather than a
multi-family property, multigenerational dwellings might need to
have a shared roof or utilities, or demonstrate more ambiguous
characteristics like “shared connectivity,” Williams explains. In
the Highlands at Heritage Hill, they must be connected by living
space, and the “secondary” home cannot exceed 3,000 square
feet.
This requirement inspired the underground connection between
Heritage A and Heritage B. A prefabricated concrete bridge structure,
which Scott uses in his work as an engineer, forms the
32-foot dining hall that runs between the lower-level prep kitchen
and wine room in Heritage A and the lower-level recreation space
in B.
DAILY QUALITY TIME
Jill already can picture hosting
holidays and, maybe, someday,
the wedding reception for one
of her children in the dining
hall. But the owners of both
the Heritage and Lighthouse
are most excited about the little
moments of family time that
come with multigenerational
living—like waiting with the
kids at the bus stop or sharing a
quick weekday meal. By living
with Grandma and Grandpa,
rather than just seeing them on
weekends and holidays, “our
kids get the opportunity to be
influenced by a different generation,”
Williams says.
Even when problems arise,
Erin sees the opportunity for
a life lesson: “I’m excited for
them to see what it means to
be a family and be there for
one another when things are
tough,” she says.
Looking further down the
road, none of the families are
concerned about the resale
of such a customized home:
They all envision their property
passing from generation to
generation.
“Our future hope is we’ll
move into (Candy and Barry’s)
house and one of our kids will
move into our house with their
family,” Jill says.
26 2018 HOMEARAMA ®