A pastoral homestead, aging parents, and children with growing families.

The Family Farmhouse is an addition and renovation to provide for the evolving needs of an eclectic family in southern Michigan. A ramped connection stretches from the main house’s ground floor out to a new carriage house addition with a new apartment and garage. This new small house provide a cozy rural home for adult sons’ growing families and a well designed option for the parents to age-in-place within their family home.

The project seeks to extend aspects and features of the existing home, capitalizing on what the family has learned is successful in their daily lives, while creating new moments of surprise and unexpected conveniences.

The project blurs tidy divisions between residences in favor of shared, although autonomous, living. The project re-frames and defines exterior areas to be better suited for gatherings, outdoor play and recreation.