How homes are changing

1
How homes are changing
2
Recent or impending updates to building codes in
provinces across Canada - including B.C.s - mean
new homes will be roughly 25 per cent more energy
efficient than those built under the old
code.   But homes, like those who own them, will
continue to change in many other ways as well.
Weve consulted our crystal ball for what to
expect over the next decade.
3
Size matters
A survey last year by the United States National
Association of Home Builders found single-family
homes continue to shrink, in part because of that
countrys economic doldrums, from around 2,521
square feet in 2006 to roughly 2,400 now.
Predicted size as early as 2015 2,150 square
feet. Shrinkage is not yet the case here,
according to Don Johnston, senior director for
technology and policy with the Canadian Home
Builders Association.
4
Vanishing rooms
The formal living room is already a thing of the
past in many new homes, thanks to the
pretentiously named great room and the advent
of open-concept family room/kitchen/ eating area
combinations. Dining rooms, however - or a
blended dining/ breakfast nook in smaller
dwellings - remain an important feature, he says.
Even for busy families, the communal aspect of
eating seems to carry weight.
5
Condos The new family starter home
As prices of detached homes continue to soar and
the condo market explodes, expect to see more
young families buying suburban condos in the
800-to 1,200-square-foot range. So says Avi
Friedman, a McGill University architecture
professor with an acclaimed background in housing
design. The renovation business will boom and
some building material retailers are already
spotlighting grab bars and other assistive
devices for an aging population.
6
The flexible home
With urban building space becoming harder to find
at the same time that municipalities push for
intensification, land use will become more
creative, according to Ottawa architect Jason
Flynn, whose practice includes infill housing. An
aging population and a predilection for
multigenerational living among some immigrants
could also inspire builders to design a homes
with in-law suites. Friedman points to the
Westhills development in Langford, where some
homes are already being built this way.
7
Kermit, meet the Jetsons
The building code can be revisited every three
years, says Sachs, who believes that by 2022,
those reviews could result in deep green homes
that are twice as energy efficient as todays new
homes. Software that would allow home buyers to
customize their own homes, even tract houses, is
being investigated at the Massachusetts Institute
of Technology. It could be ready to use within a
decade.
8
See the full article at
Westhill Consulting Langfords Housing Development
http//www.westhillsbc.com/news/933434584