Home designs take aim at Generation Y

Talk to leading residential architects today and you’re likely to hear that their latest designs are geared to Generation Y, also known as the Millennials — a group that has already surpassed the
Baby Boomers in size. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, as of 2010, there were approximately 85.4 million Gen Ys and 81.5 million Boomers.

The members of Gen Y are roughly between the ages of 11 and 30. The oldest are working and starting families. In fact, they’re producing children at a rate that rivals the first baby boom, says Jerry Gloss, principal of KGA Studio Architecture in Louisville, Colo. “It’s a bubble happening,” he says.

Coming up behind this group are Gen Ys just completing their formal education. After they graduate and enter the work force, they typically seek rental apartments in downtown areas or suburban town centers. For this segment, architects are creating buildings that maximize density on tight infill sites while avoiding an institutional appearance. Even the smallest apartments are designed with the young Gen Y lifestyle in mind, and the buildings often include fitness centers, lounges, and other amenities that promote social interaction.

Let’s take a look at four new projects aimed at the burgeoning Gen Y market:

Project #1 - Homes for hip move-ups

With its contemporary look and vibe, Plan 3 at Pure is the best-seller among young families at Stapleton. Cross roof designs provide solar- panel locations for any home orientation. Photos: Jeffrey Aron/Aromphoto.com

While it was still on the boards, Pure was showered with accolades, including the Gold Nugget and Best in American Living Awards. Now it’s getting rave reviews from home buyers at Stapleton, a master-planned community that opened in Denver 10 years ago.

“The buyers have come from cool lofts or townhomes and have really fallen in love with that whole look and feel, but now they’re cranking out babies and they need more space,” says Dave Steinke, general manager of Infinity Home Collection in Greenwood Village, Colo.

Infinity has sold 35 homes at Pure since the July 2011 grand opening. The average sale price is $665,000, including upgrades. “We hit the market where it wanted to be hit,” says Steinke.

The Pure concept, brought to life by KGA’s Gloss, marries exterior and interior design in a way that’s not typical of production housing. “To me, there always seems to be a disconnect between the exterior architecture and what you find once you open the front door,” says Steinke.

Plan 3’s kitchen carries through the urban-loft theme with its oversized kitchen island, stainless steel appliances, lighting, and color palette.

Gloss designed three elevations — coastal, Craftsman, and contemporary — and married them to the interior architecture. Denver-based HRI Design merchandised the model homes to reflect each style. “The colors, the palettes, the materials — it’s hip, it’s happening, it’s fun, but it’s not outrageous,” says Gloss.

Four floor plans range from 2,766 to 3,149 square feet and start in the high $500,000s. The star is the contemporary Plan 3, with such features as a linear, horizontal fireplace, custom metal stair railings, and a 7 x 7-foot kitchen island that is reminiscent of the lofts Gen Ys love, Steinke says.

Every home has a front yard, side yard, and backyard. At 65 x 100 feet, the lots are larger than the norm for a neotraditional community. So are the garages, which measure 20 feet wide by 37 feet deep.

“Everybody’s got a lot of toys — bikes, trikes, summer gear, winter gear,” Steinke says. “So we made an abnormally large garage space.” All garages are alley-loaded and set well back from the street, camouflaged by the landscaped side yard.

Floor plan options include bonus space over the garage and in the basement. The finished garage space adds about 400 square feet and the basement about 1,000 square feet. “Suddenly, a 3,150-square-foot home becomes 4,550 square feet with six bedrooms,” says Steinke, adding that Realtors have been encouraging their clients to finish these spaces now, since their households will likely include more children and visiting grandparents.

“Typically our construction costs are around $200 a square foot,” he says. “But when you load up that extra square footage, you get down to $150 to $160 per foot, which is competitive with everything.”
The Pure homes are rated Energy Star 3.0, and they’re smart: At closing, buyers receive iPads that allow them to control all home systems on the go, including HVAC, lighting, and security.

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