Working families are of all varieties. Typically, they are family units ranging from the sole breadwinner unit to two parents in the workforce unit. They are growing families with increasingly hectic schedules. Given the various schedules and priorities of adults and children, everyday routines tend to be tightly scheduled. Work-life balance is something most families strive for.

“Recently released government data reveals that more people in cities are choosing to live in extended families. Between 2001 and 2011, joint families in urban India grew 29%. Because of migration, support needs for the elderly and for children, and the need to share resources, urban families are stretching, joining and evolving ” as per the Times of India article.

The advantages of being a double income family (whether full-time or part-time) are many. For instance, many working families have a comparably better standard of living and lesser financial strain. They also feel like they are making a significant contribution to the family and work. And they tend to have friends and social life outside of the home and immediate family. There is also the comfort of knowing that aging parents and growing children are in a safe and secure relationship setup.

With those advantages come typical pain points working families face including:

• Feeling like the amount of quality time spent with children or spouse is not enough.
• Feeling stressed on how much chores there are to do around the house.
• A constant concern for the well-being and social life of aging parents.
• Being too tired or busy to enjoy an active and engaging social life.
• Having little time to pursue fitness activities.
• Having little time to pursue hobbies and sports.

From our research and decades of work experience designing residential communities, we’ve identified some hidden aspirations of working families and have designed solutions that help address their needs appropriately. Typically, working families require:

• Spaces for the family to engage and connect with each other, friends (old and new) and neighbors.
• The stronger community in which to nurture the children.
• Homes that do not require too much housekeeping effort and time.
• Adequate storage for the growing requirements of the children and family.
• Expandable home for visiting families and guests.
• Options for the whole family to explore and develop skills and interests; and reduced commute times while pursuing those activities.
• Options for engaging activities for improving the social, mental, and physical health of aging parents.

In addition, we are also seeing an increasing preference for lifestyle choices that include:

• Moving towards organic food sources and greater food safety.
• Developing interest in kitchen gardens and homegrown greens and vegetables.
• Responsibly managing waste segregation, disposal, and recycling.
• Responsibly consuming energy & water.
• Craving for homes that are closer to nature and cleaner environment.

Given the above needs and requirements, we’ve designed the units in all our communities to be apt homes for working families with kids and dependent parents; homes that also have multi-tasking spaces; homes that change from time-consuming habitats to time-earning habitats. As we walk through each room design, this larger design intent will become evident from the solutions and provisions that have been included to help address these specific aspirations of the working families.While we’ve designed homes keeping a typical working family persona in mind, we understand that not all families are the same or all their requirements identical. And so, we are offering customization services (as an add-on service) where our designers will work with you and your family to create a home that meets your specific needs and requirements.