NOT THE STATUS QUO: In “The House Transformed,” architects consider alternatives to traditional housing for families of all types. The exhibit is on view through February 7.

By Anne Levin

When it comes to residential architecture, the most familiar image is the conventional concept of a single-family home. But not all families fit into that category.

It is this increasingly evident fact — that many people live in circumstances other than Mom, Dad, and kids — that inspired “The House Transformed,” an exhibit on view through February 7 in the lobby of Princeton University’s School of Architecture. Nearly 50 architects from across the globe have submitted designs for residences ranging from small to expansive. There are 38 models on display, along with photographs, renderings, paintings, and videos.

“I had been thinking about how single-family homes don’t address all families,” said Monica Ponce de Leon, who has been the school’s dean for the past decade and will step down to focus on teaching at the end of this year. “We incorporated this into the curriculum, and we asked students how to create homes that signified a broader segment of the population.”

Expanding on the idea, Ponce de Leon decided to ask practicing architects whom she knew had an interest in the subject to submit designs. Several were from the University faculty; others came from beyond the campus — in fact, from every continent.

“We worked very closely with them,” she said. “It’s about how we need to think about the passing of time, and how that affects the way we adapt and design our homes. Not everyone is a traditional family. We need flexibility in these designs, because circumstances in a family can change quickly.”

A press release for the exhibit reads, “Many of us live with our extended family; countless consider friends their family, while others want to live alone, or with roommates who are mostly strangers. Some of us would like to age gracefully; others want to play, and many want to work from home. Love takes different forms, and it includes couples without children, single parents, and those in polyamorous relationships. Households come in many shapes, and yet, architecture has continued to insist on one-size-fits-all. Neutrality has proven to be exclusionary and has not served us well.”

Ponce de Leon curated the exhibit, which opened in late September, along with Shoshana Torn and Massimo Giannone. Several roundtable discussions have already taken place, and more are planned for November 10 and 12 at 12:15 p.m. Ponce de Leon hopes that members of the local community will attend the curator talk on November 15 at 10 a.m., which was specifically scheduled for a Saturday to accommodate the broader public.

The emphasis is on sharing, often multi-generational, in several of the projects. Architect Steven Holl, who designed the University’s Lewis Center for the Arts, submitted a work/live residence with a garden separating the two functions. Other projects have names like “Mommune,” which is for young mothers; “Granny’s House,” “Sometimes House,” “House/s in a Shed,” “Tiny House,” “Not my HUD House,” and “Made to Dwell.” One project focuses on co-housing in Boston; another is a residence in Croatia for five mothers and their children.

A few of the projects have actually been built. The exhibit does not address issues of large-scale housing projects. Instead, it is focused on the scale of one household.

“Centering on the realities of an intimate small scale which supports our daily life, each project imagines powerful alternatives to the status quo,” reads the release. “In the exhibition, architectural concepts of model and type are intertwined. If type is to be repeated, and model to be emulated, these two ideas turn out not to be far apart.”

Ponce de Leon, who contributed two projects, hopes that visitors will get close to each design. “We want people to engage,” she said. “All of the models can be moved to show different angles. People can flip the drawings, turn the pages, and really spend time.”

For details about the exhibit and upcoming roundtable discussions, visit soa.princeton.edu.