The exterior is clad in corrugated steel, with rolling storm shutters to cover the windows for when the blustery squalls so common to this region strike.

Thanks to the extremely remote location of the site, 90% of the materials and all of the work crew had to be shipped in, at significant expense, from the mainland 20 miles away.

The 480 square foot building (with an additional balcony bedroom) has water supplied by a rainwater catchment system which incorporates a mechanical roof washer feature: the first five gallons of rainwater during a downpour are discarded before any is allowed into the water storage tank. Then the water is drawn from the center of the tank to avoid any sediment that may have settled to the bottom or is floating on top.

Electricity is provided by four roof-mounted solar panels, that top up enough battery power to last a week. These batteries in turn supply most of the power to the cabin, including the DC operated Sunfrost fridge. Two appliances run off propane (the on demand water heater and the stove), which obviously have to rely on regular refilling trips to the two mile distant Matinicus Island.

Bathroom facilities include the aforementioned shower and a composting toilet.

Bruce said: “There was a general feeling that this house wasn’t going to work, but everything works great, just like a normal house!”

Alex estimates the cost of the five month project at around $175,000. Plans are available directly from her company at alexscottporterdesign.com. A significant portion of the cost was of course the transportation; she estimates a saving of $25,000 to $50,000 could be applied to more accessible locations.

Images by Eirick Johnson
Via Dwell and Inhabitat

Obviously space is at a premium on metro lots, so small house sensibilities are often applied in tandem with the obvious economic advantages of building with a small environmental and physical footprint. In Vancouver, the average laneway house measures only 550 square feet and consists of 1.5 stories.

This home from Smallworks Studios, known as the Arts & Crafts 750, has two bedrooms and two sizeable bathrooms, as well as its own yard.

As well as a surprising large living room, kitchen, closets and storage space.

It seems laneway houses have become a little less popular elsewhere in Canada when cities began to examine their effects on safety and services, such as access for emergency services, trash removal etc. One specific report in Toronto in 2006 recommended the curtailing of such construction, citing privacy, overlook and shadowing issues for adjacent neighbors, in addition to the aforementioned.

The Toronto report also cites difficulty with installing the necessary public and private infrastructure for a dwelling that fronts onto a laneway. Such construction could, according to the report, hinder emergency services. Homeowner parking could also present a problem with such access. Yet another reason to live off the grid and buy a bicycle, if you ask me. But if you must live in town, laneway houses are pretty interesting. Read more about it at BlogTo.

You can check out more of Smallworks Studios’ small house designs here:

The Smallworks Builder
Arts & Crafts – 500 sqft
Edwardian – 500 sqft
Loft – 750 sqft
West Coast Loft – 500 sqft

Check out some other firms designing laneway homes:
Lanefab
West Lane Homes

All images courtesy of www.Smallworks.ca.

This 360 degree glass design incorporates a shed roof that opens up one side of the structure, allowing in a cascade of light, quite the reverse of the more conventional small cabin windows set in thickly-logged walls. With two bedrooms and two sleeping lofts, it provides the perfect wilderness retreat for a mid-sized family.

Addressing the concerns of the remote locations were paramount in the logistics of construction, so Form & Forest, after pouring a concrete footing, formed the foundation from insulated concrete forms, which slot together like Legos. The forms are easily installed by two people. Here you see them ready for the application of concrete.

The walls come in prefabricated panels that erect quickly, which is always handy when you’re working in extreme temperatures.

Form & Forest worked with renowned designer D’Arcy Jones to create the elegant lines of the cabin, with such attention to detail as the lines in the wrap-around soffits matching their grooves to the vertical grooves in the siding.

The advantage the huge windows bring is coupling those inside with the environment. The reason the original pioneer cabins were so small was because most of the inhabitants’ life was spent outside, hunting, repairing, farming, gathering firewood, etc. They were also easier to heat in the winter, therefore requiring less fuel.

This modern, updated Form & Forest version allows that same sense of intimacy with the surroundings, while the owners remain comfortably inside. So while the term “pioneer” may be a tad misleading in the name of the design and lifestyle it engenders, it’s the feeling of closeness with nature that justifies its use.

All images courtesy of Form&Forest.

Via Inhabitat and Materialicious.

Although many people prefer window units to portable air conditioners, people that live in small homes, apartments, etc. or in neighborhoods that restrict window units from being used (mostly for aesthetic reasons) turn to portable air conditioners to cool their homes. Others prefer portable air conditioners because they are easy to install and don’t require heavy lifting (other than getting it out of the box!) And some prefer a portable units because they are still able to enjoy sun light coming through their windows (vs. having it blocked by a window unit) and have the flexibility of opening the window on occasion.

NewAir AC-10000H features a 4-in-1 design: air conditioner, space heater, dehumidifier and fan so it is usable year round. It offers 10,000 BTUs of cooling and easily covers areas up to 325 square feet, making it ideal for small spaces. Patented self-evaporative technology results in hours of continuous operation without excessive condensate buildup. The AC-10000H features electronic controls, digital display and a full-function remote.

In general, portable air conditioners tend to be on the noisier side because they use a compressor and a fan. In our experience, the noise generated by the NewAir AC-10000H is comparable, but a little louder than a window unit. If you are concerned with noise, use the low fan setting. This unit, like other portables requires a long vent hose. Honestly, we weren’t in the know about this and found it somewhat cumbersome and not so portable. On the plus side, it leaves the view practically unobstructed, and causes no harm to the window itself, as there is no appreciable weight on the frame by the exhaust hose and window kit (our window frames sustained considerable damage from our old window unit.) The beauty of the window panel in addition to unmarred window frames, no hole in the wall, etc. is that if you decide to open the window at night, it’s a snap to remove. The AC-10000H also has to be drained occasionally which was also cumbersome. On the positive side, it cools significantly more space than advertised and during a heat wave to boot. We assume heating will perform similarly well. The fact that it doubles as a dehumidifier is dandy as well. It would be great if the lights could be dimmed or turn off entirely for those who might be sleeping in the same room. It is very bright. Maybe you need a night light too!

If you are concerned with aesthetics, a portable unit like NewAir AC-10000H might be for you. We read a review by a couple who restored a 1965 Airstream (check out Matthew Hofmann’s Airstream project) and wanted to preserve the outside look (i.e. not have an air conditioner sticking out the side or on top.) They rigged it to vent through a door. The power consumption is also relatively low so if you were running on a generator or just trying to conserve this unit might be exactly what you are looking for. We are pretty happy with the NewAir AC-10000H. Check it out at Air-n-Water.com for free shipping.

Advertised as a holiday home, backyard studio or laneway house, the Karo Cabin will be factory-built and shipped to a site of the client’s choosing anywhere in North America accessible by road.

What’s a “laneway house”, I hear you cry? In Canada, specifically the west coast in and around the packed metro area of Vancouver, The EcoDensity movement is attempting to increase the residential population per square mile, thereby more effectively reducing the city’s ecological footprint. Encouraging homebuilders to create smaller housing structures on open land in existing lots is one of the key components of the Ecodensity mission statement.

Typically, these efficient homes will front the service lanes running parallel to the actual street, hence “laneway”. The idea caught on in other high density Canadian cities such as Toronto, and in the five years since its inception has spread well south of the border into the US. It’s becoming increasingly common to see secondary structures in place of extensive backyards.

Backyards are becoming opportunistically redundant, it seems, as people become more aware, in urban environments, that a little personal patch of greenery isn’t as ecologically sound as one might initially think. Housing another family on the same square footage of land certainly makes more big-picture ecological sense than raising a few plants.

Impressively advertised as “future-ready”, the base unit (known as Module A, 45′ x 14′) goes for $129,000, which includes a $5,000 appliance package. Other modules, which can standalone or link together, are the Module B (30′ x 14′), Module C (20′ x 14′) and Module X (10′ x 14′).

Movable interior walls lends the design a custom edge not many other modular homes can match. Module A also includes low-flow fixtures, a gas fireplace, a high-efficiency furnace, on-demand hot water and a cantilevered deck.

images courtesy of Karoleena Homes
via Jetson Green

The Harbinger features a bump-out on the front that can be used as a sitting area or a sleeping area. It is large enough to fit a Queen size bed. There are 2 versions of this home: one measuring 310 square feet, and a 2nd version with 1 bedroom totaling 407 square feet. The house is 16′ 7″ tall.

Harbinger Building Plans (310 sq ft) Studio: $695 on sale $299

Harbinger Building Plans with additional room (404 sq ft): $695 on sale $299

The kitchen maximizes spaces and includes a dishwasher, full size range with oven, and built in microwave. The tankless on demand water heater ensures that you never run out of hot water, and tucks away completely out of view. A small fireplace is tucked nicely in the corner of the great room. A washer/dryer combo in the kitchen makes this home complete.

Estimated Material Costs: $26,000 (310 sq ft) or $33,000 (407 sq ft).

The sale price is over 50% off – normally $695.
Now $299. Sale ends May 30.

Click here to view more details about the 310 square foot Harbinger

Click here to view more details about the 407 square foot Harbinger

I’m an architect. I know, it’s ironic, but I don’t prefer designing a brand new home.

Like you (I hope!) it’s our job to take care of the earth by our own behavior.

The most unsustainable thing one can do to the earth is to design and build a new home where there wasn’t one before. Worse still, is tearing down an old home and building a new one in its place.

A new home takes an enormous amount of energy and natural resources build.

Using the empty shell – the floor, walls and roof – in an existing building requires significantly less energy than new construction. By eliminating the need for building a foundation, erecting walls, installing windows, and placing on a new roof thousands of dollars of resources that would have been required to build these elements can be transferred, or saved all together.

The end result is a win-win. Sustainable and more cost effective.

Take a look around downtown. Many urban city centers have reused old manufacturing plants or storage facilities, that were made of brick or concrete, and have remodeled them into successful residential dwellings. Today, there isn’t a city in America without “urban loft-style” projects.

My 1978 Airstream project was, at its heart, an exercise in reusing an existing space. 

 
Remember the 3 R’s when choosing products and materials (reuse, reclaim, recycle)

Once an existing space is chosen, there are often times many existing elements of the previous use that may perhaps be saved and reused for the new project.  This category of sustainability can vary greatly.
 

Reuse – to take an existing product and use it for the same function or purpose, this is the most basic and simple method.  For example, much of the cabinetry that was existing was saved in the Airstream project.  The goucho (bed) was beyond saving, but the storage drawers beneath them made a beautiful base for the new bed.  Even the faux wood paneling was reused. The new convertible couch looks like a rich piece of furniture amid the abundance of white walls. The overhead cabinetry was removed, modified, and re-installed to form a more pleasing alignment.  All of the overhead cabinetry hardware was saved and reused, including the tambour rollup doors, plastic tracks, and metal pulls.  The front dinette set is original, just refinished and painted.

Reclaim – to use an existing product or material, on-site that may no longer be used for its original intended purpose, removing it and reconditioning as necessary, then transferring it to a new use in the same project.   A trailer, by its nature, is a very small confined space. A primary design goal was to open up the space by removing unnecessary visual obstacles.  In the Airstream, there were several walls that needed to be removed.  The old oak table was beyond repair and was also removed.  These elements were stored onsite and reclaimed as shelving in the cabinetry.

Recycle – In all projects, there are elements that can not be reused or reclaimed.  Instead of sending materials to the landfill, recycle!  Recycling comes in all shapes and sizes.  Many material scraps from the Airstream were stockpiled and sent to a recycling yard, such as hardware, braces, tracks, rods, plastic paneling, etc.  All of the old appliances (refrigerator, oven, sink, toilet) were sold on craigslist or donated to a new user.  Giving away or selling old parts that you don’t have a use for has three benefits:

1.     It keeps the old part from heading to the landfill;
2.     Enables the unwanted item to continue its lifespan in a different use.; and
3.     Keeps one less new product from entering the market by providing someone with a working unit.  New products = energy + resources. 

Here is a Picasa slideshow with some more images:

This is a guest post by Matthew Hofmann. Hofmann Architecture LLC is a multi-faceted architectural design build firm with offices in Santa Barbara and San Diego, California. Visit www.HofArc.com to see more photos or to follow their weekly blog.

Contact information:
Matthew Hofmann – Architect, LEED Accredited Professional
Hofmann Architecture
matthew@hofarc.com
www.hofarc.com
805.281.2461

All images courtesy of Matthew Hofmann

The traditional carriage house above a garage is difficult to make accessible unless an elevator or a lift is included, but it could be made safer with the stair inside out of the snow and ice.

This is a guest post in a series by Mike Kephart of Kephart Living, LLC, a design and consulting firm dedicated to the support and resurgence of the Sidekick Home or Accessory Dwelling Unit with offices in Denver, CO. View the first post in the series, “Accessible Small Houses,” here.

I have studied the various regulations and guidelines currently in existence and have selected the Guidelines included within the 1991 amendments to the Fair Housing Act (FHA) for my use. For example, with some exceptions in large developments, bathrooms just need to be wider than the usual 5’0” in order to accommodate a 2’10”or wider door. The bathroom also needs to be longer than the 8’0” normal length, in order to allow a person in a wheelchair to enter and close the door behind them. What these standards don’t do is require the 5’0” circle free of obstructions and the multitude of grab bars that the ADA regulations do. The FHA guidelines also allow for future installation of necessary safety features by preparing subsurfaces in walls for these additions, which encourages more attractive design than the utilitarian ADA/commercial styled baths.

Unattractive ADA bathroom.

Walk-in shower replaces a tub.

The zero step entry may be the single most important feature in an accessible home design. This detail requires advance planning of floor-to-grade elevations to provide for drainage away from the home while eliminating the step that builders have relied on for years to provide this protection. Cover the exterior entry or porch and slope the porch slab away from the house. It isn’t necessary to utilize this detail everywhere around the home, but providing access to patios as well as at the entry is optimum.

This person leaves their wheelchair outside because of the steps into this small house.

Picture: The builder almost got this one right, but unfortunately when it comes to barriers to entry an inch is as much a problem as a full step

Examples of other important details to include:
A- wider doors
B- Lever door hardware
C- wider hallways
D- usable kitchens
E- an accessible route through the home
F- sleeping space on the first floor
(Actually that last one is mine. Our practice is to use an elevator to a second floor, and or a straight run stair wide enough to accommodate a future lift.)

The term, “usable kitchen,” is vague. What is meant for the most part is to avoid making something impossible to do. Impossible would be a sink or stove placed at the center of a small U-shaped kitchen so the only way to approach the fixture or appliance is head-on. The solution is to either leave a knee space below the countertop or, to provide a parallel approach for each fixture or appliance and to allow a person to adjust their position by providing ample room. The following photo is of a kitchen that does just that. Notice how the sink is not in the corner either so a person in a wheelchair can reach the center of the sink. The microwave location above the countertop may be unusable to that same person however.

Kitchen in IKEA showroom.

Table does double duty as countertop in this kitchen. With some modification seating for four or more can be provided saving room in the home by eliminating the usual dining room.

The term Accessible route means just that, access into and through every room. It is possible to make a bed do double duty as a desk, much like the double duty dining table/countertop. The Wallbed company has a few choices, however the mechanics of converting it back and forth is difficult and requires a bit of strength. Most people want a bedroom to be a bedroom only, with the bed in place full time. That means the room needs ample circulation space around the bed as well as through the room. This restriction does not allow for tiny rooms in an accessible home which usually means fewer rooms as compared to homes that are less accessible.

A foldable Futon can serve as a part-time bed, but is not ideal for nightly use and daily naps.

Look for the third in this accessibility for small homes series to follow. In that last post I will make side-by-side comparisons of home plans that are accessible against those that are not. I will also illustrate the concepts of universal design and how designers may use them to their advantage as well as for the benefit of people who live in small houses.

Contact information:
Mike Kephart
Kephart Living and Sidekick Homes
mike@kephartliving.com
http://www.sidekickhomes.com
303.777.6383

“Since you spend one-third of your life in bed, commit some time to shopping for your new mattress. A little research about the features and benefits available can pay off a many times in the quality of your sleep for the years to come. If you are like most people, you won’t replace your mattress for 7 to 10 years. Therefore you will have to live with your decision – so make a good one! Remember, a good mattress can make a noticeable difference in your health, attitude, and well being.”

We love our Savvy Rest natural latex mattress and can see some great benefits to choosing Savvy Rest for your small house bed. They are organic, nontoxic, comfortable, and durable. Certified organic cotton and certified organic wool surround a 2, 3 or 4 layer organic natural latex core made from the sap of the rubber tree. The latex can be ordered to any firmness and can be split on beds Queen size and larger for those whose sleeping partners desire a softer or firmer mattress. Free shipping isn’t a bad benefit either. If you are looking for a mattress that is free of offgassing chemicals and allergens, you will be very happy with a Savvy Rest natural latex mattress. Latex does carry the scent of the rubber tree. For most people it’s unnoticeable or inoffensive. According to some sources latex and wool are dust mite, mold and mildew resistant.

Instead of getting into the particulars about what the mattresses are made of (certified organic cotton, wool and latex,) controlling firmness/softness, the Savvy Rest 90-day latex exchange, the characteristics of Dunlop or Talalay latex or the Savvy Rest 20-year Warranty, you can read about it on the Savvy Rest website: http://www.savvyrest.com/ – The site features some of the bedding industry’s most comprehensive consumer education with many articles on materials, design, and sleep issues.

Savvy Rest natural latex mattresses are rated “Greenest Product” in National Geographic’s Green Guide and are certified by Green America.

Can you imagine a Savvy Rest mattress in the loft of your small house or a Tumbleweed Tiny House Fencl (above) or on a Compact Living Loft Bed (below)? We can!

Images via Small Furnish, Savvy Rest and Tumbleweed Tiny House Company.

Image by Kate Ferris via Flickr - © All Rights Reserved

This is a guest post by Mike Kephart of Kephart Living, LLC, a design and consulting firm dedicated to the support and resurgence of the Sidekick Home or Accessory Dwelling Unit with offices in Denver, CO.

However, we don’t do anything in this country just because it’s the right thing to do. We either legislate or we wait until there is an economic benefit to do so. The US congress adopted The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the accessibility Amendments to the Fair Housing Act (FHA) both in the early 90s. The intent of these laws was to regulate the design of buildings to make new buildings more accessible to the disabled. However these laws did not cover single-family houses, duplexes and triplexes, and it doesn’t appear that this issue will be addressed anytime soon.

So, if you are one of those searching for an economic justification to offer accessible small homes you need look no further than the Whitehouse for the fastest growing demographic in the United States. When Barack Obama’s mother-in-law, Marian Robinson, moved to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. that action added the Whitehouse to the roles of multi-generational households. These households grew by 30 percent between 1990 and 2000, and have increased 57 percent between 2000 and 2007, not including the past two years of economic crisis and home foreclosures, according to the U.S. Census. There are 77 million baby boomers that will begin to turn 65 in two years, not to mention another 25 million older Americans who are already over 65. Add to that a long list of disabled persons as a result of wars, accidents, and diseases and the total adds up to nearly half of the 300 million people in our country.

As much as I would like to see a nice little house or Accessory Dwelling Unit behind the Whitehouse, that house is large enough for one more person, but that’s not the case with most homes. Basements and attics can be finished to make room for an elderly family member but these difficult to reach spaces are not the most accessible to someone with mobility issues. The kids can be moved to those places or an addition can be built with a bedroom for the elder. Many families are doing these things right now but these solutions are temporary at best. Family animosities may build up when grandmother or weird Uncle Al moves in. Power struggles can arise over who is in charge of the kitchen and privacy may be compromised.

There are beautiful stories as well but the best ones come from situations that give everyone control over their private lives. A close friend of mine built a second living unit attached to the side of his house for his father, who lived there compatibly for nearly 20 years. He’s gone now and the living unit is an ideal rental, which provides extra income. According to my friend the secret to their compatible living arrangement was a few simple rules. No drop-in visits, all visits to either home must be proceeded by a phone call and agreement by the other. Although there was a door connecting the two kitchens it was to be used only in emergencies. At all other times the visitor must use the front door. That was it, simple respect for one another’s privacy and each with control of their own.

This is where Small Houses come in. ADU, Accessory Dwelling Unit, ordinances are being adopted by communities across the country. The phenomena began in the early 90s in California, no surprise there, with a state law mandating that all municipalities adopt governing regulations for ADUs. Since that time the idea has caught on in Oregon and Washington State and east to Texas and Colorado, Minnesota, Ohio, Vermont and Florida. ADUs are usually regulated in size to less than 800 square feet and in other ways individual to each municipality. Design is often regulated to match the primary house on the property in color, materials and roof slopes. This is one way for cities to begin to address the growing economic divide and the expected surge of aging baby boomers now entering their 60s. Small houses in backyards can be rented after Mom moves to a care facility and the affordable housing choices in good neighborhoods will help with the diversity of populations.

The example shown was built in 2008 to 2009 and was a bit backwards as ADUs go. The little 600 square foot house (green in the photo) existed and we added a 2-bedroom 1160 square foot two story primary house in the front (red in photo). The typical property has a main or primary house set close to the street. The ADU is then added in the large backyard.

Now to the nut of the problem, is it more challenging to design accessible small homes than larger ones without noticeable differences in floor plans? I’ll have more on this in my next post.

Contact information:
Mike Kephart
Kephart Living and Sidekick Homes
mike@kephartliving.com
http://www.sidekickhomes.com
303.777.6383