Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Tiny Houses Infographic

[Sharon Villines (sharon]

On Aug 30, 2014, at 8:59 AM, Philip Dowds <rphilipdowds [at] me.com> wrote:

> When it comes to land use, construction cost, and energy efficiency, the 
> multi-family building (apartment or condo) will always beat the pants off 
> single family, even with one hand tied behind its back.

Even a tiny house on a tiny lot? In Chestertown on the eastern shore of MD, 
there are two tiny houses in the downtown area--not a tall building place, just 
one story commercial -- that are billed as artists studios. They are on a 
narrow lot, one behind the other, maybe 5 feet on each side and between them. 
Enough for windows with light and a sidewalk.

One is obviously used as a studio for a stained glass crafts person. It has no 
loft so no stairs breaking the space. He has a large work table in the center 
of the room and shelving all around. A skylight as I remember. 

The other is ostensibly used as a "knitting studio" but was fully livable. 

During the build  your own house movement of the 1970s, people built their own 
small houses, many quite beautiful. One way around the ordinances was to build 
the house on wheels and another was to find the requirements for other 
structures and meet them. For example one woman built her house in the middle 
of a field on piles to meet the requirements for a boat house. 

Sharon
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Sharon Villines
Takoma Village Cohousing, Washington DC
http://www.takomavillage.org