Could a laneway home be up your alley?

For some Calgarians, a laneway house is a realistic way to achieve the elusive dream of home ownership.

Laneway houses are fully independent, small-scale dwellings that face onto an alley, typically found in the backyards of existing homes. Often referred to as "urban cabins," they are an alternative way to add density to established inner-city neighbourhoods.

While the buzz around laneway homes might be new, the concept is not.

With a rapidly aging population, laneway homes may be the future of housing

Consider this nostalgic scene: a grandmother bakes cookies while her granddaughter stands on a stool beside her, kneading the dough. Such rare quality time could be a daily occurrence for those who sign up for the perks of multi-generational living, say Studio North co-founders Mark Erickson and Matthew Kennedy.

The architects recently finished building a laneway home for a West Hillhurst 1950s post-war bungalow. Their client, who grew up there, commissioned the home for his wife's parents to join them.