This large main room is located at the model home for Haleakea Plan 2, in the planned Ewa by Gentry community. All of the home’s main amenities, including a living room, dining area, kitchen and laundry area, are located on the first floor. This floor plan allows family members with limited mobility access to the home’s main rooms.

Ask Shirlynne Dredla how her mother, Violet Yasutomi, came to live with her and her husband, and she’s likely to turn the question around. “Actually,” she says, “it’s how we came to live with my mother.” Yasutomi, it turns out, has lived on the same plot of land in Kalihi for 53 years. This past October, after building a brand-new home where Yasutomi’s older home once stood, the Dredlas joined her there.

This ohana room can be found in Haleakea Plan 2 by Gentry Homes. Here, there’s enough space for the whole family to gather.

“Mom said she wants to live out her days on this property,” Dredla explains. “So we talked about demolishing the old home since it had a lot of repair work to be done. Then, we talked about building, and that’s how it all came about.”

The Dredlas hired Graham Builders to design their new ohana home. “They really helped us through every phase of the building process,” Dredla says. The help included advice from Bonnie Osaki, director of customer care and certified aging-in-place specialist (CAPS). Osaki advised the Dredlas on how to plan for the eventual challenges that would come with accommodating an aging parent. Everything from a safer shower to lighted hallways and a zero-step entrance were addressed. While Yasutomi isn’t in need of these things now, Osaki stresses the importance of knowing they’ll be there for her in the future. “Most multigenerational homes are going to incorporate someone who is going to get older, and we want to make sure there’s accessibility for independent living,” she says.

The doorway of a small adjoining cottage is visible from the front door of the Plan 2 model home. The addition ensures that an individual  living with his or her extended family has privacy, but is never more than a few steps away from the rest of the group.

The need for ohana homes like the Dredlas’ has grown dramatically in the past four years. According to Osaki, three in five projects Graham Builders carries out annually are multigenerational, which means the homes contain two or more nuclear families living—or planning to live—in one home.

Mike Mudgett, of Grand Construction, has noticed the upward trend in multigenerational homes as well. “In the past five or six years, the real estate market here has shot so tremendously up that kids can’t afford to buy their first family home. So we find that there’s a tremendous amount of large family additions made to accommodate kids moving back in with their parents,” he says.

Whatever the individual situation may be, local builders are responding with design/build plans to accommodate growing family residences. If you’re considering a multigenerational or new-build add-on, start by asking yourself the following questions:

Photo courtesy of Gentry Homes This master bedroom, located at Haleakea Plan 2, sits on the first floor, along with an adjoining bathroom.

How experienced is your contractor?

It makes sense to choose a builder who has a portfolio of completed multigenerational projects. “We design according to American Disabilities Act specifications,” says Harry Kim III, of HK Construction, whose design/build company has created many multigenerational add-ons and new- builds over the years. “We plan ahead with our customers, and are always looking out for them.”

Graham builders custom-designed this furo soaking tub for Yasutomi. It allows assisted access, thanks to the surrounding ledge, and  extra support from the grab bar at left.

How close do you want to be?

“You have to be ready for the consequences of living together again,” says Mudgett. You’ve got to plan for common areas you’ll want to see your kids and grandkids in, and [still] have your own private space and private access.” If your family members are 100 percent independent, consider properties with attached living units, such as the ones featured in Plan 2 at Gentry Homes’ Haleakea Development. “[It’s] kind of like a little [apartment] that’s on the first floor, off the main entry,” says Rick Hobson, vice president of sales and marketing for Gentry Homes. These cottages often feature private entrances and include half or full bathrooms as well.

The Dredlas’ home includes a zero-step entry ramp for easy access to Yasutomi’s private living quarters.

Do you have a live-in relative with limited mobility?

If you’re planning to accommodate individuals with limited mobility, first-floor access to the home’s main functions are a must. “We put the younger generation at the top of the house, and we end up putting the more seasoned generation on the bottom level,” says Chad Taniguchi, of Dream Home Builders. “You want to have the bedroom on the same level as the accessible level of all your main facilities—your kitchen, your laundry and living room—so the person [with limited mobility] won’t feel isolated from the rest of the family,” explains Osaki.

Do you need extra advice?

If you’re thinking of accommodating an aging relative, you’ll want to plan for their special needs. It helps to consult an aging-in-place specialist who is certified by the National Association of Home Builders. “We’re going to be able to stay current on the trends and recommendations of professionals,” says Osaki. To learn more about aging in place, visit www.nahb.org.

Will your home require specific design alterations?

There are a myriad of ways to design for easier living for all generations, from nonslip flooring, to fixtures, finishes and wider doorways and hallways. With so much to think about, it’s virtually impossible to assess your needs on your own. An experienced design/build contractor can point you in the right direction. For example, “We go through all the pros and cons of [kitchen] design with the clients, so that way, they understand how they’re going to be utilizing it, who’s going to be utilizing it, and then all the factors [involved],” says Randall Omoto, of Homeowners Design Center.