The other day, I was driving through Millwood in Ozark and noticed some beautiful, high-end patio homes. What caught my attention was the design. These were duplexes, but you could hardly tell. The buildings were staggered, the garages and entrances were thoughtfully positioned, and each residence felt like its own custom home.
It got me thinking. What if we took this same concept and designed homes specifically for multigenerational living?
Families have always found ways to live together. Aging parents move into spare bedrooms, basements become apartments, and garages get converted into living quarters. More recently, guest cottages and accessory dwelling units (ADUs) have become popular options.
But what if we were more intentional about the design from the beginning?
Imagine a beautiful ranch-style home with a 2,000–2,500-square-foot primary residence and a smaller 750–1,000-square-foot attached residence. Each would have its own kitchen, living space, entrance, garage, and private patio. The garages could separate the living areas, providing privacy and independence.
From the street, it could look like one beautiful custom home rather than a traditional duplex.
The possibilities go beyond aging parents. It could work for an adult child with disabilities, grandparents who want to be closer to grandchildren, or extended family members who simply want to live near one another.
And it wouldn't necessarily require new construction. Some of Springfield's larger ranch homes, particularly in established neighborhoods, might lend themselves to this kind of conversion, assuming zoning and neighborhood restrictions allow it.
Beyond multigenerational living, a thoughtfully designed second residence could offer flexibility as family needs change. It might eventually serve as guest quarters, a home office, or even a rental where permitted. That versatility could make these homes appealing to a much broader market.
I could even imagine a small community of these thoughtfully designed homes, offering families an alternative to traditional single-family housing.
The idea is simple: Two independent homes, one property. Close enough to be together, but separate enough to maintain independence.
I wonder if there's an underserved market for this type of housing, particularly as more families look for ways to care for aging parents, support adult children, and make better use of their housing resources.
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