Transforming an abandoned school into a modern, multi-family home, three households reimagined community, design, and daily life—offering fresh answers to the challenges of isolation, high costs, and creative living in 2025.
Imagine walking through a hallway once filled with lockers and the sounds of recess, now echoing with the laughter of three interconnected families. This isn’t a dream—it’s the daily reality for Dena Rae G., her husband, their three children, and their close-knit friends and grandparents, who joined forces to convert an 11,000-square-foot Canadian school into the ultimate multi-generation home [House Beautiful].
The Origin Story: More Than a “For Sale” Post
This visionary project began with a simple Facebook listing for an out-of-use school. The seed of an idea—shared by Dena, her best friend Abby, and Abby’s parents—quickly grew roots when all three households realized they wanted not just a house, but a community. As modern family life often leaves parents isolated and overwhelmed, their shared vision was to pool resources, divide costs, share labor, and bring back the “village” so many parents now feel is missing.
With the help of a family real estate agent (who was Abby’s mom), they closed the sale in late 2023 for less than the $303,000 asking price—a feat given the sprawling six-acre property and its three distinct wings, each perfect for family-sized apartments joined by communal halls.
How the Old School Became a Dream Home: Design & Labor Lessons
This was not a job for amateur DIYers. Dena’s husband, a seasoned contractor, teamed up with Abby’s husband, also in renovations, to tackle the enormous physical job. When it came to the interiors, Winnipeg-based designer Alexa Zorica of Stella Studio & Co. channeled “organic modern” style: earthy neutrals, deep textures, and unexpected statement arches. A structural beam that once broke up the classrooms became a bold stone arch anchoring the main kitchen and living space, radiating warmth and wow-factor.
Three distinct living quarters emerged from the school’s bones:
- Dena’s family: 1,500 square feet, with a kitchen, living, dining, four bedrooms, and two baths.
- Grandparents: Principal’s office, lounge, and computer lab remade into a two-bedroom, two-bath retreat.
- Abby’s family: Five-bedroom residence reimagined from old classrooms, with its own kitchen, dining, and living area.
The Power of Shared Spaces—and Individual Privacy
Key to the project’s success was a balance between privacy and togetherness. Families maintained separateness in their private wings but came together in thoughtfully restored community zones: the old-school gym (now an exercise and play paradise), wide hallways for spontaneous neighborly interactions, shared outdoor spaces, and ambitious plans for a common “grand hall.”
The design embraced new lifestyle trends with practical intent: communal kitchen gardens, space for homeschooling and group events, and outdoor plans for a pool, hot tub, and giant vegetable beds. It’s a template for rethinking housing at a time when affordability, sustainability, and social connection are more urgent than ever. The approach echoes the cohousing and multi-generational living models increasingly championed by urbanists and family advocates [Psychology Today].
Insights and Takeaways: Cohousing for the Future
This school conversion isn’t just a novelty—it’s a model others are already watching. The project delivers clear lessons:
- Cost-sharing makes large-scale, ambitious homes viable—and more resilient in uncertain markets.
- Community support reduces stress, helps balance family and work, and recreates the safety net modern parents crave.
- Flexible design can blend shared and private space for both introverts and extroverts, young and old.
- Expert help (skilled contractors + creative designers) supercharges even the wildest renovation visions.
Practical tips from the families and their designer stand out, too: repurposing unusual spaces (like gyms and principal’s offices), prioritizing durable materials, and using cohesive color schemes to make giant, institutional buildings feel like home.
Why It Matters: How This Story Reflects Where Home—and Community—Are Going
The explosive cost of housing, social isolation, and increased interest in sustainability are all accelerating alternative living strategies. This school-to-home conversion captures a shift seen in rising cohousing communities and multi-family compounds across North America, a trend validated by housing experts and Pew Research Center data showing that more families are choosing to live together under one big roof.
By retrofitting institutions of the past, these families are building homes—and communities—fit for the future. Their experience is an inspiring roadmap for anyone seeking to bring affordability, togetherness, and artistry into the heart of daily life.
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