Hybrid Commercial/Residential “Live-Work” Space: MPGhomedesign just completed an extensive exterior and interior renovation of a 3,000 sq ft commercial structure that we rezoned for both office and residential living in Newburyport, MA. The building was originally located several blocks away before being moved to its current location in 1955. It has played a unique role in the community having been a school house, a police station, a plumbing parts store and a marketing agency.

We view this project as a prototype for a new trend towards creating a combined live-work space. As technology empowers more families to commute less and remain safe from viral outbreaks, a live-work space represents a natural transition to a more modern lifestyle. While this is a new concept in the U.S., in Japan, having a store, business or workshop at street level with living quarters above has been around for centuries. Called “Machiya”, living and working within the same structure is a predecessor to the contemporary flex-space movement we see today.

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