Note House: A Multi-Generational House Design that Blends Creativity, Care & Compact Living

Project by Emma Kunz and Maral Mendybayeva

The Note House is a deeply intentional multi-generational house design that redefines urban living by embedding artistic expression, accessibility, and familial warmth into a vertical home. Designed for a diverse family of five, the house adapts to both functional and emotional needs, making architecture an active participant in everyday life.

At its heart lies a desire to support creativity and care. One of the key residents is a practicing musician, and the home is designed as a fluid stage where sound, space, and light support her work and lifestyle. By making the building itself a sensorial experience, the project transcends traditional notions of housing.

A Stage for Everyday Life

The Note House is divided into two primary zones: private spaces and public/shared spaces. The southern side houses public-facing functions that foster connection, including dining, circulation, and a shared music room. The northern side is dedicated to personal retreats with intimate, acoustically controlled bedrooms and studios.

Each family member’s life informs the layout:

• Adala (80) enjoys cooking and family dinners but needs spatial support for her mobility and health conditions. The design integrates full wheelchair accessibility across all levels.
• Ethan (56) and Aaliyah (56), a busy working couple, are supported by flexible layouts that allow for occasional remote work.
• Mykolas (28) and Janina (28), both creatives, are offered inspiring spatial volumes that enhance collaboration and solo work.
• Darius (7), the youngest, enjoys communal play areas and quiet spaces for school and hobbies.

Designing for Sensation and Sustainability

Sensorial variation is central to the Note House. Shifts in material, natural lighting, and spatial compression and expansion evoke feelings and enhance interaction. Double-height areas, bridges, and sculptural staircases turn circulation into experience.

The building also prioritizes sustainability through:

• Use of thermal mass and passive solar design for temperature regulation
• Natural ventilation systems with operable skylights and airflow corridors
• Carefully placed light wells that bring daylight deep into the structure

These strategies not only reduce environmental impact but also support well-being.

Compact Living in Dense Urban Fabric

With a tight footprint, the design maximizes every cubic meter. Despite its compactness, the home avoids a sense of confinement by stacking spaces vertically and creating visual and functional continuity between floors. Lift access, open staircases, and voids help maintain spatial connection.

The south facade acts as a transitional edge between the private lives of the family and the street life below. It also transforms into a backdrop or stage, projecting domestic life into the urban context in a subtle yet theatrical way.

Architecture as Performance

Ultimately, Note House turns domestic life into a kind of ongoing performance—not as spectacle but as celebration. It blurs the boundary between observer and occupant. The music room isn’t just a private space—it becomes a vessel for creativity, visible to those within and symbolically present to the world outside.

A Living Model for Future Urban Housing

This multi-generational house design proves that architecture can nurture intergenerational harmony, support artistic lifestyles, and address accessibility, all within a small city plot. It is not just a home, but a resilient and responsive organism attuned to the rhythms of life.