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Jeffrey DeMure is an architect by profession and a passionate generationalist by vocation. The principal of a thriving practice in Northern California, Jeff works and speaks all over the country on the subject of reinventing the model for 55+ living.

Jeff is quick to remind us that, with Americans living on average 30 years longer than they did at the beginning of the last century, there is no longer one profile for the retired. Three different generations inhabit this general category, with very different needs—and even more, very different attitudes about themselves and aging.

America’s oldest retirees are those of The Greatest Generation—the people who grew up with the Great Depression and fought in World War II. That group—now in their mid eighties and up—represents the more traditional image of the senior citizen. The Silent Generation retirees, now in their late sixties to mid eighties, have been the first to rethink how they want to live in their retirement years—and some have chosen not to retire at all. Now that the Boomers, some 80 million strong, are entering into retirement age at a rate of 10,000 people turning 65 every day, there is more pressure than ever for a redefinition of active adult living.

Jeff tells us that the Boomer senior is less likely to move away from their home area, and more likely to put off aging as long as they can. As they recognize physical frailties, they are more likely to get a knee or a hip replaced than lose their mobility. He sees the differences in age and outlook as a sociological puzzle to be solved as much as an architectural opportunity.

Our conversation with Jeff will last for three more weeks, so be sure to tune in. You can download the entire series on iTunes or on Facebook.

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When most people think about energy savings in a new home, their minds move almost immediately to solar power. Yet many of the smaller, less headline-worthy technologies readily available today are what really make the difference in one’s energy bills.

The Real Story is talking to Chuck Schoenberger, Executive Vice President of O’Brien Homes, about his company’s multi-family home community in Sunnyvale, Fusion. Fusion is being built inside the environs of a business park—a new direction for homebuilding, but surely one that makes sense when it comes to promoting an energy-conserving lifestyle. Chuck says that the residents can walk or bicycle to work, to retail or to public transportation. What’s more, because this community is considered “infill” in an established area, there are plenty of mature trees and greenbelts to blur the lines of the architecture and create a welcoming streetscape.

Chuck confesses to be hugely interested in solar, yet made the decision not to do solar roofs for the Fusion community. Why? The payback is too far out—some 10 - 15 years—to make solar installation a plus for most homebuyers. Instead, the features that are decidedly low on the sex appeal-scale—Energy Star appliances, more and better insulation, high quality vinyl windows and zoned thermostats—are the real heroes in the drive to consume less energy and enjoy lower energy bills.

Our talk with Chuck continues next week.  In the meantime, you can download this week’s conversation on iTunes or hear it on Facebook.

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The Real Story had the opportunity to sit down with Chuck Schoenberger, Partner and Senior Vice President of Operations for O’Brien Homes. In his 20 years with the company, Chuck has overseen the construction of more than 2,000 homes. These days, he is a homebuilder dedicated to improving the quality of the built environment, and in doing so, a leader in green construction.

In Chuck’s experience, today’s homebuyer is looking for a home whose construction quality and features provide a healthier and more efficient living environment, with reduced energy bills. Not only has his company had experience in building homes in every price point and almost every locale in the Bay Area since its founding in 1976, O’Brien Homes has been an industry leader in quality controls. Often, says Chuck, the company’s commitment to quality has led to whole new approaches to building. To ensure that new ideas are embraced by trades and suppliers, O’Brien has helped educate its trade partners in changes in the building sciences.

Chuck’s conversation this week points out the ways in which homebuilders are matching up technological advances with the features that matter most to their buyers. As the conversation progresses this month, Chuck will be discussing how the Fusion neighborhood in Sunnyvale is delivering a green lifestyle to a high-tech buyer profile.

You can download this interview on iTunes or listen in on Facebook. The conversation continues all month, so be sure to log on.

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More than 90% of seniors say they want to age in place. But, according to Kevin Casey of New Avenue, that doesn’t mean they want to continue to take care of a big yard and a four-bedroom home. A solution is the backyard cottage, an example of which Casey demonstrated with a full-size model at the 2011 Pacific Coast Builders Conference.

In our conversation today, Casey describes how Boomer parents can move into a cottage in their own backyard, while their adult children take over the home. This allows for connections across the generations and, at the same time, gives everyone personal space.

This is our final segment on backyard cottages. The entire series of interviews with Kevin Casey is available on Facebook or iTunes. Log on next week, as we begin a conversation with Jane Warner, President and CEO of the American Lung Association of California. The topic:  the impacts of air quality on quality of life.

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The notion of using the yards of established neighborhoods for small dwelling units makes a lot of social and sustainable sense. A well-insulated cottage in the back of an existing home can help connect friends and family, and is also more energy-efficient because of its size.

For all its virtues, the concept has some barriers. According to Kevin Casey, Founder and CEO of New Avenue, the hurdle to “accessory dwellings” comes from the municipalities in terms of fees. Zoning permits, building permits and, in some cities, fees for traffic, sidewalks, schools, etc, can range anywhere from $3,000 to $50,000.

In this week’s segment, Casey breaks the process of building an accessory dwelling into three steps: Conceptual design, construction documents and—last and most fun—construction.

Our series on small cottages continues next week. The Real Story is available on Facebook. Be sure to “like” us, and our podcasts will appear on your news feed.

Rendering courtesy of New Avenue.

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Two big showstoppers at the 2011 Pacific Coast Builders Conference were, in fact, small. New Avenue, a full-service small home provider, had two of its cottage residences on display. In today’s post, we talk with New Avenue founder and CEO, Kevin Casey about the WHY behind his commitment to these efficient backyard residences.

Sometimes called “accessory homes”, the New Avenue line of cottages range in size from a 300-squre foot studio to an 800-square foot 3 bedroom home. The product design is driven by a scarcity of available land close to transportation, work centers and transit. Casey’s notion is to put two homes on a lot in some of our desirable suburban areas, increasing density, yet allowing for a high degree of individuality.

We’ll be posting a new segment of this interview every week in September, so be sure to log on. If you “like” us on Facebook, the posts will be delivered right to your News Feed.

Rendering: Courtesy of New Avenue