Disconnect of the Millenial
Millennials use space differently from their younger counterparts, and thus, their houses are designed & treated differently. Families, social meeting places, and formal spaces take up more space than the informal hallways and rooms that gen Z prefers. What are these contrasts that stand out so well?
For every home owned by a millennial, there exists a rigid, tried & tested list of functions that this home should perform for its owner. Dedicated spaces for recreation, resting, eating, and cooking are mandatory, as is the division of these spaces by walls, partitions, or other forms of solid installations.
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The older generation of today’s time tends to be used to living a life that dedicates strict guidelines to the utilization of each room the person occupies. Bedrooms are meant for sleeping or rest, the living room is to entertain guests and the dining space can only be used for eating. You may eat in the kitchen, but never in the bedroom; the garden may be your tea time retreat, but who eats in the hallway? Rules like these are unwritten but evident, and so is the culture of following them.
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The younger generation has moved on to contrast this chopped-up use of space, preferring to mix up functions or just live in a large, single-room space where all activities can be done at once, much unlike their parents. Gen Z doesn’t mind their guests in their bedrooms or falling asleep on the couch in the living room, they have become comfortable with the shared functions that the rooms in their houses provide.
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This disconnect majorly comes through due to differences in the upbringing of both these generations, as well as the flexibility (or the lack thereof) provided to them in their schools, colleges, or work spaces. With an evolving world, people have grown to become more comfortable in their bodies, and by extension, the spaces that these bodies occupy. The millennial generation sees people outside their families as the ‘others’, whereas the younger generations are free and comfortable with people from the outside too - friends, colleagues, classmates, and other associates. Gen Z is also more comfortable opening up their homes to a variety of people, allowing them to become a part of their lives by occupying the same spaces together.
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This disconnect also develops into design when these two opposing generations prepare to build their own homes. While the older generation prefers to follow the guidelines of house-building prevalent since the Industrial Revolution, the youngsters prefer open plans, large obstacle-free spaces without defined uses, and several balconies, porches, and gardens. Apart from the kitchens and the toilets, gen Z looks at their houses as a single, large area with the possibility of every program and function in the same space.
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The home, as a machine, houses, nurtures and helps in the growth of both of these generations in the same manner, but the utilization of this house - the number of people occupying it, the functions it plays, and the permeability it allows - changes across the two. This disconnect in terms of homes is evident and yet, no one is wrong in their usage of this space. Every activity and idea stems from a deep-seated understanding of society, family, and space as a whole.