After months of planning and research, Garman Homes – a member of the builder team in Chatham Park, Pittsboro, NC – is breaking ground on a new concept home created as a result of the America At Home Study. This national survey of adults ages 25-74 with annual household incomes of $50,000 or more, was conducted in two waves during the pandemic to gain a better understanding of all that new home and community design requires in a post-pandemic world. Insights from 7,000 participating consumers culminated in this original floor plan, named “No Little Plans –Barnaby,” that will debut in Chatham Park later this year.

When the COVID-19 pandemic turned the world upside down in 2020, economists began introducing theories and projections about the pandemic’s economic effects on society. The medical field researched the toll these changes would take on mental health including suicide and depression rates. However, the way Americans feel about their homes and community in this “new normal” and how it would change the way Americans view and feel about their home received little attention. Lifestyles had changed overnight as jobs and educational efforts went virtual, converting spaces in the home into offices and classrooms. Entertaining areas were transformed into meccas for board games, craft projects, and newly discovered hobbies. And outdoor living became safe havens to enjoy some fresh air and a little nature. Three women leaders in the home building industry Belinda Sward, Nancy Keenan, and Teri Slavik-Tsuyuki took the initiative to explore these changes through the America At Home Survey. They then invited Alaina Money-Garman, founder and CEO of Garman Homes, and set out to design and now build a concept home in Chatham Park. 

“Inspired by consumer insights from the America At Home Study, the concept home is believed to be the first home intentionally designed in response to the radical changes spurred by the pandemic. Special attention was paid to the entries of the home – both for owners and guests because they need to perform differently, and to the functionality and natural light in the kitchen. The home includes two separate office spaces, neither one simply a re-purposed bedroom. There is a guest suite and two covered outdoor spaces for safe social gathering. This home is the collective effort of the founders of the study and Dahlin Group Architecture Planning (architect), Garman Homes (builder), and Cecilian Partners (digital customer experience).” – AmericaatHomeStudy.com 

The America At Home concept home, “No Little Plans – Barnaby” is part of Garman’s new NONFICTION brand that features the Quotables Collection. This collection includes four floor plans and can be expected for presentation this year in Vineyards at Chatham Park.

“Chatham Park is honored to feature the concept home for the America At Home Study,” said Executive Vice President of Preston Development Vanessa Jenkins. “Our community vision is to showcase homes that consider how we live now and, in the future, rather than what our standards have been in the past. We could not think of a better example than the Barnaby concept home from Garman homes.” 

Chatham Park’s dedication and commitment to research, technology, and well-rounded living – shown in their five pillars: Innovation, Connectivity, Quality Design, Wellness, and Stewardship – are exemplified by Garman’s involvement in the America At Home Study. As Chatham Park works with Garman Homes to develop America At Home-inspired houses, the community continues to aspire to create spaces where people look forward to live, work, play, shop and dine at home, or within minutes of home.