Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Micro Living Units -- Affordable

[R Philip Dowds (rpdowds]

I will re-configure some points I made in an earlier response to this concept:

Tiny spaces are cheaper than less-tiny spaces.  But not a lot cheaper.  Think 
about it.  A minimalist dwelling unit might include two doors, a window, a 
compact bathroom and kitchen, and a micro-studio of, say, 12 x 12 feet square.  
A more comfortable and practical dwelling unit might be exactly the same, 
except the studio would be maybe 16 x 20 feet.  The extra construction is 
mostly … air.  Air is pretty cheap, and doesn’t add much to construction costs. 
 OK, it’s not quite that simple, but the underlying point is valid:  In 
buildings, it’s features, not space, that tend to cost the most.

So now:  How do you simplify or reduce features, save lots of construction 
cost, and still have a good home?  I have two suggestions topping my list:
Multi-family construction.  Single family homes are incredibly inefficient at 
providing X square feet of amenable interior space.  Foundations and 
weatherizing envelope are extensive and costly, relative to habitable square 
feet, and building utilities like HVAC cannot benefit from any economies of 
scale.  If you’re trying to limit the cost per square foot of housing, 
apartments and condos will always beat out single family homes — with one hand 
tied behind their backs, and wearing a blindfold.
Sharing.  Who says every individual or couple needs a private bathroom or 
kitchen?  Well, we all do, that’s the American way.  But there are certainly 
many other residential amenities that can be successfully shared by a 
residential community, instead of privatized as in the single family model: A 
guest room; a workshop or arts and crafts room; a swimming pool; a 
party/banquet room; even an automobile.  This is where cohousing steps in to 
make life in a small unit reasonable: by providing options and opportunities to 
serve occasional needs in a communal rather than privatized way.  And more 
communal models, like congregate care for the elderly, really do find ways to 
share a kitchen and bathrooms among a dozen unrelated adults.  Now we’re 
gaining access to a lot of nice spaces, at a modest price.  If — and this is 
big if — we can get comfortable with sharing.
Thus my proposition is that we can save a little money by putting our products 
in the squeezer-compressor, and living with tiny houses or tiny cars.  But we 
can save a lot more money by changing our lifestyle paradigm.  For instance, to 
density and transit.

RPD
Cornerstone Cohousing (Life in the Big City)

> On Oct 21, 2014, at 8:08 AM, VAN DEIST <vandeist [at] msn.com> wrote:
> 
> 
> 
> Tiny
> House / Retirement Cottage
> 
> The
> current Tiny House phenomenon has focused primarily on singles &
> young professionals seeking financial relief in high cost areas. 
> That's a very good concept which also applies to senior singles &
> couples trying to maintain their life styles on moderate incomes.
> 
> Downsizing
> appeals to many seeking to age-in-place; who have sorted through
> their priorities; and who have made some crucial decisions.  As one
> of those, I decided that I want a free-standing house with a little
> land around it.  It needs to be a wheelchair friendly home that is
> not located in a flood zone.  I want energy efficiency, storm
> resilience and fire & termite resistance.  I want to be safe and
> snug in my strong home and not have to evacuate.  I want enough room
> for me and my stuff but not too much to keep clean easily.
> 
> Working
> with Banyan Tree Construction in Sarasota, I have helped design what
> we believe to be the smallest floor plan that can still be w/c
> accessible.  It can have any façade, but we have chosen a 1920’s
> style cottage with a metal roof and front & back porches.  Its
> construction material is neither cement block nor wood but is
> Structural Insulated Panels (SIP’s), a strong, well-insulated
> building material which is also fire & termite resistant.  The
> assembled panels create the home’s exoskeleton; don't require
> trusses; and provide vaulted ceilings throughout.  These ceilings
> create a light & airy environment which belies the cottage’s
> small, 24’X24’ footprint.
> 
> This
> cottage utilizes energy-efficient, space-saving appliances which
> lower the square footage cost but do add to the appliance allowance. 
> To me, this trade-off is a good investment in, both, design &
> ambiance.  The idea is to save money by downsizing the home while
> maintaining a high ft2 value.  
> 
> 
> The
> cottage has 576 ft2 of a/c space; a 94 ft2 front porch; and a 128 ft2
> back porch, and it costs $120K complete on a developed lot. 
> Technically, that’s $208.33 per a/c ft2, and it reflects the value
> of this home’s practical amenities & lifestyle enhancements.  A
> home is first & foremost a safe, comfortable, and enjoyable
> environment.
> 
> 
> For
> those requiring more space, there is a 2BR, 2BA model available which
> adds a master BR to the rear of the 1BR, 1BA cottage.    
> 
> 
> We
> offer study plans at no charge upon request:  vandeist [at] msn.com