Designing A Home So Family Members Cross Paths

I want to design a home where mom, dad and the kids cross paths in the hallway. I call those encounters “collisions,” and I think they deserve attention when we’re figuring out how the rooms connect.

Picture dad brushing his teeth in the bathroom. A kid comes in needing to use the toilet, and suddenly there’s a chance to say, “Hey, I haven’t seen you all day, junior. What’s going on?” Nobody scheduled that conversation. They needed the same room at the same time.

In that example, giving the family one bathroom forces the collision. Everyone has to use the same space. That’s a very direct way a decision on a floor plan can bring people into contact during an ordinary day.

I think about the kitchen and dining room in the same way. I’d merge them into a singular space. If you come in to eat, you sit down at the table, and mom is right there in the kitchen. She sees you. Preparing food and sitting down for a meal happen within sight of each other.

When I think about the formulation of a house, I’m thinking about those little moments: who passes whom, where people stop, and which rooms they need to share. I want the everyday routes through a home to give family members reasons to encounter one another.