Flexible spaces to meet every stage of life

Alex Bozikovic rounds up four residences that serve as ideal footprints for retirement living

For half a century, most Canadian households followed a familiar convention: The nuclear family occupied a house with a yard and perhaps a picket fence. But the suburban dream always had gaps, and in a time of economic and demographic change it’s clear that many Canadians will be living in different ways. Home prices and rents are punishingly high, forcing younger adults to rethink where and how they will live. Many Canadians are aging, and their needs are changing. As of 2017, 22 per cent of Canadian adults – and 38 per cent of seniors – had one or more disabilities. What kind of models will define the way we live next? The following four spaces are flexible homes that provide access to nature, light and air, and places where we can find community.