The Latest in Architecture

Open Concept

Inside and outside have become one, gone are the days where every room had a door and four walls. Instead, spaces connect to each other without obstructions creating an open concept. With an open concept design, homes are including more and more spaces that have less defined purposes. Our architects at CDG are now designing flex rooms with the ability to easily transform for new uses without a complete makeover or costly renovation. Formal living rooms and dining rooms are disappearing, replaced by great rooms and large kitchens with double islands and large tables in the kitchen replacing the formal dining room table

Indoor and Outdoor Living

The informality of the open concept floor plan has fostered a growth in outdoor living. While initially decks, patios, and outdoor grills were the focus, this trend has expanded to outdoor kitchens and even fully furnished outdoor rooms with fireplaces, and TV’s. Open-plan spaces are all about connectivity and interaction.

The main rooms in the home have become communal activity areas, with many different functions going on all at once. Busy parents want to be able to keep tabs on the kids while they prepare dinner and perform other chores. We have evolved to using one larger space all the time.

Family Compounds

As real estate prices in many cities are rising much faster than wages, more and more young families are finding themselves unable to afford to live and save for a first home. Likewise, retirees are also finding it difficult to get into the housing ladder. This is giving rise to the multi-generational home or compound: where more than one generation live under the same roof for an extended period. Sharing a home with other adults can help you save money for a deposit, manage monthly expenses, and stay in a desirable area when house prices fluctuate. Having two or more master suites give all the adult family members their own private space while enabling them to share resources under the same roof.

Healthy Home

With asbestos and lead paint causing health problems in homes built in the past, today’s homes are designed to insure healthier interiors. Using sustainable design principles and green construction, homes can effectively eliminate harmful fumes and chemicals. Designers are becoming increasingly aware of the ways our health is affected by synthetic materials and the chemical additives used in paints and composition wood products. Houses are becoming a destination for their owners as they turn away from health clubs and implement their own fitness and relaxation areas into the comfort of their own home. Examples of this are the increasing amount of home gyms, hot tubs, whirlpools, steam rooms, and spa-influenced bathrooms.

Accessibility

Accessibility and Inclusive Architecture are some of the most popular requests related to Architecture for the elderly and visual impaired . The aging of our population has put a focus on making it easier for them to age in place, this eliminates the spiral staircases, sunken living rooms, and high cabinets. Architects often use the phrase "universal design" to describe these homes because they are comfortable for people of all ages and abilities. No matter how beautiful, your home will not be comfortable or appealing if you cannot move freely through its rooms and independently perform the basic tasks of life. Even if everyone in the family is able-bodied, a sudden accident or the long-term affects of illness can create mobility problems, visual and auditory impairments, or cognitive decline.

CDG Architects offer features such as wide hallways which blend seamlessly into the design so that the home does not have the clinical appearance of a hospital or nursing facility. Blocking in the walls for handicap bars in showers and baths, textured floors for better traction, 36” doorways, curbless showers, comfort height toilets etc…

Technology

We all know the home of the future is self-sufficient – and our clients are showing interest in being able to create a self-contained home, able to generate its own power, or being part of a community that shares resources. Many people are looking to the future and installing smart technology to create sustainable environments within their homes. Sustainability has been a growing trend for the last ten years, and it shows no signs of going away, increased consumer demand for energy and water conservation devices, infrastructure for solar arrays, and battery stations in garages for Tesla like cars of the future just to name a few. Emerging technologies are facilitating the management of smart systems in the home, always losing your front door key? No worries, now all you need is your thumbprint to operate your entire security system. Worried about germs in your bathroom? You can install self-sterilizing door and the list goes on.