Ponce
2nd December 2012, 08:22 AM
Go to link for photos and construction video......
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200 square foot homes prop up in DC as aspiring homeowners look for their piece of the American dream after the housing crisis
By Daily Mail Reporter
PUBLISHED: 18:36 EST, 30 November 2012 | UPDATED: 20:12 EST, 1 December 2012
Comments (188) Share
..A neighborhood of miniaturized homes, that look like what some Americans build in their backyards as dollhouses, is propping up in northeast Washington, D.C.
The 150 to 200 square feet living spaces in a transformed vacant lot behind a line of row houses, sell for between $20,000 to $50,000 a piece and are part of a national backlash to the conspicuous consumption of the McMansion era.
The concept of the tiny residences became popularized by Tumbleweed Tiny House Co., based in Santa Rosa, Calif., that launched in 2000. The plans faced a tepid reception but after the credit crisis of 2008, have exploded in popularity.
Scroll down for video.
Little piece of paradise: A neighborhood of miniaturized homes, that look like what some Americans build in their backyards as dollhouses, is propping up in northeast Washington, D.C.
Just what you need: Though the inside of the home isn't terribly spacious, with the right decorations it can still suit the needs of its inhabitants
Little houses, big world: The 150 to 200 square feet living spaces can cost between $20,000 to $40,000 a piece, depending on whether someone builds it themselves or hires a builder
Less is more: The concept came as a backlash to the conspicuous consumption of the McMansion era
The lot was purchased in March by a group of three DC residents who became interested in creating a neighborhood of tiny houses as an example of affordable, scaled back living.
The group has transformed the concrete abandoned lot into a grassy area for the stall-like homes. They have also constructed a garden area and have planted 10-15 trees to surround the lot. The group of homes all circle an open, grassy area with a picnic table open to the community.
More...From free love and sexual liberation to vegetable patches and $3 a day living costs: Inside America's oldest hippie commune
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Knoxville, Dallas and Pittsburgh only THREE major U.S. cities showing signs of economic recovery, study shows
The homes, ideal for one or two inhabitants, are naturally limited in space and so the neighborhood will include a 8’x20’ garage/storage structure for those items that just can't be squeezed into the miniature shelters.
The homes are located in the historic Stronghold neighborhood in a community called Boneyard Studios.
Rough draft: The designs for the little houses were inspired by Tumbleweed Tiny House Co., based in Santa Rosa, Calif., that launched in 2000, though Tumbleweed is not involved in the DC community
Cozy: 'It's no longer about impressing your friends with your huge 1980s castle, it's more about your lifestyle,' on DC condo developer has said
Jay Shafer, who founded the The Tumbleweed Tiny House Co.- a company that popularized the tiny house movement but is not involved with the DC community, has sold more than 1,500 sets of plans for similarly small living spaces.
He said after the recession of 2008, the tiny houses took off.
'Americans still like our stuff big and cheap, so a 100-square-foot house is not for everyone or big families. But people in tiny homes save a ton of money on heating and AC,' he told the Washington Post.
Though Shafer used to reside in a 90-square foot house, he has since upgraded to a 500-square-foot home after he and his wife welcomed their second child.
'It's no longer about impressing your friends with your huge 1980s castle, it's more about your lifestyle: What restaurants and fitness centers and community life can you walk to? It's not about driving everywhere and staying inside and spending hours watching TV,' said Monty Hoffman, chief executive and founder of PN Hoffman, a Washington area condo builder.
'They're a statement that no one needs to be trapped in a mortgage they can't afford in a house that’s too big for them anyway,' Amy Lynch, a consultant with the Minneapolis-based BridgeWorks, told the Washington Post about the practicality of the miniaturized residences after the housing crisis of 2009.
'The baby boomers raised their children. Now, they’re looking at all this stuff they have and thinking, ‘What has meaning for me now?’ Plus, these tiny houses are small enough that you can clean — actually clean them!'
The line of tiny homes in DC that is beginning to take shape, a project called Boneyard Studios, has mobilized volunteers and residents to join the cause.
But the pint-sized homes make some area residents feel like the American Dream is no long attainable.
'These tiny houses feels like we are going backwards,' Patricia Harris, who owns a rowhouse in the District, said.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2241277/200-square-foot-homes-prop-DC-aspiring-homeowners-look-piece-American-dream-housing-crisis.html?ICO=most_read_module
========================================
200 square foot homes prop up in DC as aspiring homeowners look for their piece of the American dream after the housing crisis
By Daily Mail Reporter
PUBLISHED: 18:36 EST, 30 November 2012 | UPDATED: 20:12 EST, 1 December 2012
Comments (188) Share
..A neighborhood of miniaturized homes, that look like what some Americans build in their backyards as dollhouses, is propping up in northeast Washington, D.C.
The 150 to 200 square feet living spaces in a transformed vacant lot behind a line of row houses, sell for between $20,000 to $50,000 a piece and are part of a national backlash to the conspicuous consumption of the McMansion era.
The concept of the tiny residences became popularized by Tumbleweed Tiny House Co., based in Santa Rosa, Calif., that launched in 2000. The plans faced a tepid reception but after the credit crisis of 2008, have exploded in popularity.
Scroll down for video.
Little piece of paradise: A neighborhood of miniaturized homes, that look like what some Americans build in their backyards as dollhouses, is propping up in northeast Washington, D.C.
Just what you need: Though the inside of the home isn't terribly spacious, with the right decorations it can still suit the needs of its inhabitants
Little houses, big world: The 150 to 200 square feet living spaces can cost between $20,000 to $40,000 a piece, depending on whether someone builds it themselves or hires a builder
Less is more: The concept came as a backlash to the conspicuous consumption of the McMansion era
The lot was purchased in March by a group of three DC residents who became interested in creating a neighborhood of tiny houses as an example of affordable, scaled back living.
The group has transformed the concrete abandoned lot into a grassy area for the stall-like homes. They have also constructed a garden area and have planted 10-15 trees to surround the lot. The group of homes all circle an open, grassy area with a picnic table open to the community.
More...From free love and sexual liberation to vegetable patches and $3 a day living costs: Inside America's oldest hippie commune
Obama says middle-class tax hike would be 'like getting a lump of coal' for Christmas as he tours U.S. drumming up support for deal
Knoxville, Dallas and Pittsburgh only THREE major U.S. cities showing signs of economic recovery, study shows
The homes, ideal for one or two inhabitants, are naturally limited in space and so the neighborhood will include a 8’x20’ garage/storage structure for those items that just can't be squeezed into the miniature shelters.
The homes are located in the historic Stronghold neighborhood in a community called Boneyard Studios.
Rough draft: The designs for the little houses were inspired by Tumbleweed Tiny House Co., based in Santa Rosa, Calif., that launched in 2000, though Tumbleweed is not involved in the DC community
Cozy: 'It's no longer about impressing your friends with your huge 1980s castle, it's more about your lifestyle,' on DC condo developer has said
Jay Shafer, who founded the The Tumbleweed Tiny House Co.- a company that popularized the tiny house movement but is not involved with the DC community, has sold more than 1,500 sets of plans for similarly small living spaces.
He said after the recession of 2008, the tiny houses took off.
'Americans still like our stuff big and cheap, so a 100-square-foot house is not for everyone or big families. But people in tiny homes save a ton of money on heating and AC,' he told the Washington Post.
Though Shafer used to reside in a 90-square foot house, he has since upgraded to a 500-square-foot home after he and his wife welcomed their second child.
'It's no longer about impressing your friends with your huge 1980s castle, it's more about your lifestyle: What restaurants and fitness centers and community life can you walk to? It's not about driving everywhere and staying inside and spending hours watching TV,' said Monty Hoffman, chief executive and founder of PN Hoffman, a Washington area condo builder.
'They're a statement that no one needs to be trapped in a mortgage they can't afford in a house that’s too big for them anyway,' Amy Lynch, a consultant with the Minneapolis-based BridgeWorks, told the Washington Post about the practicality of the miniaturized residences after the housing crisis of 2009.
'The baby boomers raised their children. Now, they’re looking at all this stuff they have and thinking, ‘What has meaning for me now?’ Plus, these tiny houses are small enough that you can clean — actually clean them!'
The line of tiny homes in DC that is beginning to take shape, a project called Boneyard Studios, has mobilized volunteers and residents to join the cause.
But the pint-sized homes make some area residents feel like the American Dream is no long attainable.
'These tiny houses feels like we are going backwards,' Patricia Harris, who owns a rowhouse in the District, said.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2241277/200-square-foot-homes-prop-DC-aspiring-homeowners-look-piece-American-dream-housing-crisis.html?ICO=most_read_module