intriguing, as others have pointed out, a variation of that is extended families living together or nearby. many cultures have this built into their housing, e

intriguing, as others have pointed out, a variation of that is extended families living together or nearby. many cultures have this built into their housing, e.g., chinese siheyuan or roman domus. these courtyard houses can accommodate such arrangements without literally living with each other. you can even stack them and share the courtyard among multiple families (one on each side of the courtyard), for denser neighborhoods.