Small Homes ?

Friday, July 19, 2008 the Wall Street Journal published an article entitled The Newest Cottage Industry. The article discusses how less can be more in home development. The focus is on two developers in the Northwest (Washington State), Ross Chapin and Jim Soules, who have designed and built several small home (cottage) communities. Each home is under 2,000 square feet in size, garage and vehicle access is only located in the rear of the homes, the homes are close together and each home faces a community public space (play area, gardens or the like). Do you see where this is going ? The developments are constructed to build a feeling of community.

The designs are smart and well thought out. Wall space we usually leave unfinished is utilized for storage, book shelves, display areas. Much attention is given to details. Obviously, a smaller home will use less energy to heat and air condition and be less expensive to live in and maintain. However, given the attention to detail in the construction the prices per square foot range from $175-$250 per square foot (Northwest US). This means that the upfront savings in downsizing may not be apparent at first. This could be a hard sell in the land abundant Mid West.

As we see inner core communities develop their town centers and incorporate retail, office and service uses and interest in public transportation, these type of developments actually seem appealing and can integrate well into the "New Urbanism" we are seeing take hold.

Sample floor plans can be viewed at http://www.rosschapin.com

The WSJ has a nice video about cottage community living and design here