For most buyers, the journey to a new home involves a long stretch of waiting. You choose your floor plan, select your finishes, and then watch as your vision takes shape month by month from the ground up.
By the time walls go up and rooms take shape, it can be hard to imagine how your lifestyle will fit into those spaces – or whether the home will truly deliver on your needs. The 2026 Virtual Concept Home – a collaboration between Zonda, the housing industry’s leading provider of data and insights, and Fischer Homes, one of the nation’s largest home builders – aims to change that.
By merging consumer research with forward-thinking design, the two companies have created a digital-first home that anyone can walk through online. This innovative project doesn’t just reimagine the home-buying process – it reimagines what a home can be.
For Fischer Homes’ design team, the virtual platform opens new creative doors. Normally, the design of a home is constrained by budget, land, and build cycles.
“A lot of those constraints are put to the side in this format,” says Dan O’Connell, director of architecture at Fischer Homes. “We can focus on creating the best possible design.”
That freedom allows for experimentation, from bold layouts to multifunctional spaces that adapt to changing family needs. The result is a home designed to grow and adapt alongside the people who live in it.
“We know homeowners want a home that evolves with their lifestyle,” O’Connell says. “Having spaces that can be used for multiple different purposes is really important when designing this home.”
One of the strongest consumer trends driving the Concept Home is multigenerational living. Rising housing costs and a growing interest in family connection are prompting more households to bring grandparents, adult children, or extended relatives under one roof.
“Home designs that promote multigenerational living are something we see requested again and again,” says O’Connell.
The Concept Home meets that demand with features such as independent living suites, flexible bedroom layouts, and accessory spaces that balance togetherness with privacy.
“You can bring in family members and make living affordable, but also allow them to be part of the group – yet independent,” says Rich Tomko, senior vice president of media and event sales at Zonda.
While Fischer Homes brings architectural innovation, Zonda ensures the design aligns with what homebuyers want.
“One thing that’s great about the concept home is that we take Zonda’s consumer insights and pair them with Fischer Homes’ design expertise to bring those preferences to life,” says Karyn Bonder, vice president of builder development at Zonda.
That means every detail – whether it’s a flexible workspace, an open-concept kitchen, or wellness-oriented storage solutions – is grounded in real buyer data. The result is a house that feels both aspirational and achievable.
Beyond the design itself, the virtual format changes how buyers can interact with a new home. Instead of waiting months to see a finished product, shoppers can explore the Concept Home instantly, experiencing spaces in 3D and imagining their own furniture, routines, and lifestyles within its walls.
“The home building industry is one where you often wait five to seven to nine months to see a home truly finished,” says Kari Myers, director of corporate strategy at Fischer Homes. “This allows you to see all those options upfront.” For design managers, the benefits are just as valuable.
The Concept Home isn’t meant to stay in the digital realm – it’s a testing ground for ideas that will influence Fischer’s real-world communities.
“We wanted a floor plan that fits into our existing collection of homes, while also offering something customers don’t yet have access to,” says Myers. “This is a great opportunity to take customer preferences and incorporate them into a virtual home. We’re not just in the business of building new houses – we’re in the business of building dream homes.”
That philosophy is echoed by Fischer’s design team.
“This project is a chance for us to flex high-functioning spaces and think of new options and features that could eventually become standard,” says Christina Bishop, design manager at Fischer Homes.
Ultimately, the goal is to inspire.
“When our customers see this home for the first time online, I hope they have a sense of wow,” O’Connell says. “There are going to be a lot of really cool features they’ll enjoy.”
For Zonda and Fischer Homes, the 2026 Virtual Concept Home is more than a digital model. It’s a blueprint for how homebuilders and buyers can dream bigger, collaborate more closely, and imagine what’s possible – before the first foundation is poured.
