What will homes look like in 20 years? That's what kids 13 and under across the country were given as a prompt for a fun drawing contest this summer, and the results are pretty awesome.
Home insurance provider Square One ran the contest as a way to engage with kids looking for something creative to do. Then the company chose their favourites of the 500-plus entries and had a professional illustrator bring the drawings to the next level.
Among the winners are several kids from Metro Vancouver, including 12-year-old Brayden, who came in first place and resides in North Vancouver. Brayden's vision of his future home is a six-bedroom tree fort "on an isolated island coast that features a theatre, dance floor, and the ultimate gaming setup." The dream home also has an elevator that goes right to the tree-tops, "an observatory with a super-magnifying telescope, an elegant waterfall, two skyways, a helicopter pad, and a rocket ship."
Nine-year-old Kaitlyn from Vancouver finished in the top 10. Her dream home features a rooftop rock climbing wall covered in solar panels, and a waterfall with a hidden sauna.
Of course, the kids did not have to consider soaring real estate prices in one of the country's most expensive and competitive markets when drawing their dream homes. That's the magic of childhood for you.
A rep for Square One mapped out their company's take-aways from seeing all the entries in the colourful competition:
- Children are well-aware of climate change impacts. Many home drawings had eco-friendly and sustainability elements like solar panels and gardens
- Living near or having a water feature on the property is very popular
- Houses depicted were humble i.e., more cottages in nature than mansions
- Tree homes are very popular and a common solution to the space issues in big cities, as many children mentioned in their drawing
