Multigenerational living is growing across the country, and El Paso has a particularly strong tradition of families staying close. Whether you’re planning for aging parents, adult children, or simply want the flexibility to accommodate extended family, building a custom home gives you the opportunity to design multigenerational living done right.

Why Multigenerational Homes Are Booming

Several factors are driving the trend. Housing costs make it harder for young adults to afford their own homes. An aging population means more families are caring for elderly parents. Cultural values in El Paso’s community prioritize family closeness. And frankly, many families simply enjoy living together—when the space is designed to support it.

The key phrase there is “when the space is designed to support it.” Multigenerational living works beautifully with the right floor plan and becomes stressful without one. The difference is intentional design.

Floor Plan Approach 1: The Suite Wing

The most common multigenerational layout adds a separate suite to the main home—typically a bedroom, full bathroom, small living area, and sometimes a kitchenette. This suite is connected to the main house through a shared interior door but can also have its own exterior entrance for privacy and independence.

This approach works well when one or two family members need proximity without full integration into the household’s daily routine. An aging parent can have morning coffee in their own space, join the family for dinner in the main kitchen, and retreat to their suite in the evening.

Floor Plan Approach 2: The Dual Primary Layout

Instead of one primary suite and secondary bedrooms, a dual primary layout creates two equal-status suites on opposite sides of the home. Each has its own bathroom, closet space, and privacy from shared living areas. The middle of the home holds the shared spaces: kitchen, dining, and family room.

This works well for two couples sharing a home—whether that’s parents and adult children, or two siblings who want to share property costs while maintaining independence.

Floor Plan Approach 3: The Casita

A casita—a separate small dwelling on the same property—offers the most independence. It’s essentially a small apartment with its own kitchen, bathroom, living space, and entrance, connected to the main home by a courtyard, covered walkway, or shared outdoor space.

In El Paso’s climate, the courtyard connection works beautifully. A shared outdoor living space becomes the natural gathering point, while each dwelling maintains complete privacy. Zoning in many El Paso neighborhoods allows accessory dwelling units, but verify with the city before designing this option.

Universal Design: Planning for All Ages and Abilities

Multigenerational homes should incorporate universal design principles—features that make the home accessible and comfortable for people of all ages and abilities. This doesn’t mean the home needs to look clinical or institutional. Modern universal design is subtle and stylish.

Key features include wider hallways and doorways (36 inches minimum), curbless shower entries, lever-style door handles instead of knobs, well-lit pathways between living areas, a bedroom and full bath on the main level, and non-slip flooring throughout.

These features cost very little to include during construction but are expensive and disruptive to add later. Even if no one in your household currently needs accessible features, building them in creates future flexibility.

Shared Spaces That Work for Everyone

The shared spaces in a multigenerational home need to be large enough for everyone to gather comfortably but designed so that different family members can use them simultaneously without conflict. An open-plan kitchen and living area with distinct zones—cooking, dining, lounging, kids’ play—allows multiple activities to happen at once.

Sound management is often overlooked but critically important. Insulated interior walls between private suites and shared spaces, solid-core doors, and thoughtful placement of noisy areas (laundry, media room) away from bedrooms all contribute to peaceful coexistence.

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