Extended families pooling their resources and getting more bang for the buck (or euro).
I like this even better than a multiplex. The layout of the buildings creates an internal courtyard and no shared walls.

Shown on S5E8 of Extreme Homes.
http://www.domusweb.it/en/news/2012/09/ ... sters.html
More picturesThe house is construed as three separate units for three sisters and their families: All houses share beautiful views and good orientation, as well as a certain degree of interconnectedness. They stand together but don't intersect. Next to the volumes there is a garden, an olive grove and a shared courtyard.
http://www.blancafort-reus.com/proyecto ... as-murcia/