Living Environments Summary

In "Living Environments," Ari Friedman explores the idea that people are reflections of their homes and that the opposite holds true. As an architect, he believes that the best way to design living spaces is understanding the people who will inhabit them. Friedman presents the examples of “neat”, “utilitarian”, and “collector” families. The diverse types of families echoes what the people find important. Is the house a showplace or is it jam-packed with stuff? Is it full of high-end pieces or simple and minimalist? The answers show how the clients view themselves, but also displays their authentic selves. Additionally, he describes that he believes that trends are passing, but that comfort is enduring. His motto could be: where you feel at …show more content…
Also, just 20% of adults aged 18-29 are married which is a sharp decline compared to 1960 with 59%. According to the Pew Research Center, this is not a surprising trend. More people are delaying marriage and there are more single parents and more partners cohabiting than ever before. According to the most recent census, the Census Bureau has found that the percentage of one-person households has grown over the last 40 years, from 17 percent of total households in 1970 to 27 percent in 2012 with 32 million Americans living alone and three times that as single parents. All of this leads to impacts on society and the environment, people living alone often has larger disposable incomes and businesses are starting to court their demographic. Travel, food packaging, and accommodations are all areas seen as new prospects for marketing. However, all of this can have a negative impact on the environment. Single households can use more natural resources than a household with shared resources. Also, single living can lead to a lessening of social community due to a lack of family ties to an area. In more urban centers, people often associate more with their neighborhood than with the city with regards to socializing. If a single person moves into an area and they do not have ties to the neighborhood such as their children going to the schools or …show more content…
Major builders such as Toll Brothers and Lennar are beginning to advertise homes with space specifically allocated to separate family groups. For instance, Lennar’s home comes under its NextGen brand. CEO Stuart Miller claims that sales of multi-generational homes are doubling year by year. Also, that the sales price for a NextGen home was around 40% above average. The homes are coming with flexible spaces that can be transformed into bedrooms or rental properties with a separate entrance. Such homes can become a safety net for adults with either children or elderly parents moving in with them. The homes provide economic benefits to home ownership, such as the pooling of financial resources of multiple generations and the added financial security. Having a large home like the ones built in the last thirty years can be less of a burden with more working people in them and can provide a stronger sense of home and community.

I will admit being biased on this subject, as I live in a multi-generational home. My parents, my siblings, and their children are in one home. The current trend is one that will have a great deal of influence on our society in the near and semi-distant future. Economics, social structure and politics will be determined by the boomerang children and the growing senior population. We need to understand the trend and prepare for the repercussions, because