Make ‘Modern Prefab’ Malleable to Masses

“... people may be finally recognizing that there might not be such a great future in 10,000-square-foot McMansions.”

-- Allison Arieff, founder, former editor,
Dwell magazine, author of “Prefab”

Gee, shucks, mame .... Ya think? Maybe? This isn’t the formerly “mundane, ugly architecture” of prefabricated homes. Check out this article (and photo gallery) in the L.A. Times that celebrates the revival of ‘modern’ prefabs, even during the slumping housing market.

Arieff leads prefab designers Michelle Kaufmann, Jennifer Siegal and Rocio Romero in a panel discussion titled “The Four Women of Prefab” during the annual CA Boom show in Santa Monica, California, per the southern California publication.

Modern, made-to-order prefab could help make an architectural variety of homes available to people who can’t afford what’s currently on the market, Arieff said.

A few more important points in this interview:

• Made-to-order, modern prefabs rely on natural light and ventilation ... expanses of glass, exposed beams and studs
• Prefabs are made with ‘smarter’, more sustainable building materials ... smaller footprint
• Quicker construction time, more efficient use of materials, less waste, money saved
• Make sure there aren’t stipulations against prefab and manufactured homes on your lot

Portland project combines green, small living

In Portland, Oregon, people work together to get stuff done - or so it says in this article published in the March 2008 issue of Sunset magazine. The article focuses on three couples with 'green' lifestyles. One of the couples is Laura Ford and Josh Devine who are part of a 4-unit infill community called Sabin Green. It consists of four homes on a 75- by 100-foot lot that used to have only a single two-bedroom bungalow and garage. Developed with affordability in mind, Josh and Laura's house cost $143,000 and is 530 square feet. The cohousing project meets two big goals - having a small footprint AND providing a house they could afford.

Multimedia: 21st Century Village

I just came across a link to several nicely produced clips and shorts about the cohousing experience. The multi-media presentation is from YourHealthConnection.com.

More are Thinking Small

In case you missed it, there is a great article in the Feb. 16, 2007 New York Times Great Homes section about the small house movement. Written by Bethany Lyttle, it includes pictures of many small homes and tells the story of how or why many people are using small homes to take care of a variety of needs.

Building with Interdependence in Mind

Gregory Johnson, coordinator of the Small House Society, is another believer in the combination of small house communities and cooperative arrangements.

He's live for 5 years in the "Mobile Hermitage" -- a 10x7-foot home on wheels designed by Jay Shafer of the Tumbleweed Tiny House Company. "... I had my home built without a bathroom, shower, or full-kitchen. The house was built with interdependence in mind," Greg said.

"The assurance of an abundant and fulfilling future on this planet will largely depend upon the establishment of sustainable micro communities and cooperative housing/cohousing arrangements," he said.

The house operates entirely from battery power. It is an all-season habitat located in Iowa City, Iowa (for the moment). From Greg's web site:

"...The Mobile Hermitage is designed to be part of a community of tiny houses. Interdependent, freestanding, small houses are very economical to build and maintain. By sharing common resources such as laundry, lavatory facilities, bath house, large kitchen, and activity center, a greater sense of community is established, and significant savings can be achieved."

Many existing cohousing projects share common walls much like an apartment building or condominiums as a way to reduce building expenses and make homes affordable. Units still cost well over $100,000 to $250,000, especially when sustainable (green) options are added.

Although cohousing units usually are larger than Greg's small house, many small house designs (less than 1,000 square feet) cost less than $100,000. Not all of them are as sparse as the Mobile Hermitage, including options such as kitchens, showers, and toilets adapted from R/V and camping industries.

Expense and a perceived lack of privacy keeps some people from seriously considering cohousing. Small homes stand individually (increasing privacy) and let owners build what they can afford. Although not a 'perfect' solution for everyone, the combination makes cooperative living more available to everyone.

Greg has put a lot of thought into how people can live in the world more effectively. His ideas are spread throughout the Resources for Life web site, the umbrella domain for the Small House Society.

The financial economies of building a small house community are discussed here. For example, 10 people could combine their financial resources and spend $20,000 on each house, instead of $120,000. Collectively, they would have $1 million to purchase a shared acreage and build a community center, according to Greg.

(Editor's note: Even when you build a larger small house for less than $100,000, it still provides a savings that can be used for communal buildings and land. I will provide links to many other types of small housing units and hope to find existing communities of small homes. If you know about a project like this, please mention it in your comment to this post. -- mm)

Wisconsin cohousing bucks national downturn in home sales

While today's housing market falls apart, cohousing projects in Madison, WI, aren't having problems selling units, according to an article on the Madison Commons web site.

Three cohousing projects already exist in Madison. A fourth in the works is providing a "little shining bright spot in the Madison housing market," a future resident of Arboretum Cohousing said.

Affordable for Troy Gardens was $109,500 for a two-bedroom condo and $139,500 for three bedrooms. The project used federal and local funds and the profits from its 10 market-rate homes to subsidize 30 below-market-rate units. This let sometimes expensive 'green building' elements to be installed in all 40 units.

Habitat for Humanity built one unit in the Arbco Cohousing project.

Living Tiny with Jay Shafer

My early introduction to the small house concept was via Jay Shafer and his Tumbleweed Tiny House Company in California. He's designed and lived in homes that are less than 100 square feet since 1997.

Living in a home this small isn't for everyone. It is an excellent example of how comfort is created within less space than you'd think possible.

Jay's decision to down-size was motivated by concerns about the environmental impact of a larger house. He also didn't want to maintain a lot of unused or unusable space (for example, lower heating costs, less space to vacuum and dust).

He's told his tale to Anderson Cooper of CNN and on the CBS Evening News, National Pubic Radio (NPR), and Home and Garden Television (HGTV). The list of articles featuring his designs and the small house movement fills an entire page on his web site.

The best way to understand Jay's concepts is to take the tour of his home via YouTube. While there, watch Dee Williams' "dream house" video where she talks about her experience with living simply.

Jay's designs vary from the Biensi, a 70-square-foot home for about $35,000, to the Enesti (770 square feet), a permanently affixed home. Construction estimates are from $100 to $200 per square foot.

Jay conducts workshops for people who want to build tiny homes. He is hosting a workshop weekend in Austin, TX on March 29 and 30. The Building Workshop attendance is free with purchase of a set of plans. Take a look at his 2008 workshop schedule here. Visit Jay's personal residence, the Epu home, in Sebastopol, CA during scheduled open houses.