Could Alleys Be Filled with Pre-Fab Micro Homes?
Courtesy of Co.DESIGN
With all our talk of micro-units and alley dwellings, a recent post on Co.DESIGN caught our eye. Apparently, a North Carolina architecture firm has designed prefabricated homes that fit in the alley spaces that exist between homes in downtown Raleigh, NC.
The alley dwellings, designed by In Situ studios and architect David Hill, would cost about $30,000 and be quite small and narrow, with 100-square foot pieces (porch, kitchen, den, bedroom, patios, etc.) that could be cobbled together to create a customized abode. The aforementioned pieces can be arranged in whatever manner the buyer decided. A solar panel, which could be delivered by truck and assembled on site, would power the home.
Most of Raleigh’s downtown residences have an alley right next to them; the owners, the team surmises, could either sell that land or build a home and rent it out.
The hitch in the plan is that Raleigh’s current zoning code wouldn’t actually allow for homes this small. Minimum size requirements in the city are quite large, keeping downtown property values high. Like DC, Raleigh is in the midst of a massive zoning regulation overhaul, and the team that created the plans for these micro homes is hopeful that the regulations will soon allow residents with more modest means to find smaller homes in the middle of the city; they even proposed a new zone, RA-50, or “Alley Residential,” along with the prefab homes.
While it’s unclear how realistic the design is, it seems that the desire for smaller, urban homes is quite real in many parts of the country.
See other articles related to: micro units, smaller homes
This article originally published at https://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/could_alleys_be_filled_with_pre-fab_micro_homes/6153.
Most Popular... This Week • Last 30 Days • Ever
The big news in the development pipeline east of DC's H Street Corridor is the resur... read »
In this article, UrbanTurf looks at the estimated annual maintenance costs associated... read »
Today, UrbanTurf is examining one of our favorite metrics regarding competition in th... read »
Another concept has been unveiled for one of DC's most contentious development sites,... read »
The residential development in the works along Florida Avenue NE is looking to increa... read »
- The 4 Projects In The Works Near DC's Starburst Intersection
- What Are the Annual Maintenance Costs When You Own a Home?
- The 6 Places In The DC Area Where You Aren't The Only One Bidding On a Home
- A First Look At The New Plans For Adams Morgan's SunTrust Plaza
- 46 to 48: The Biggest Project In Trinidad Looks To Get Bigger
DC Real Estate Guides
Short guides to navigating the DC-area real estate market
We've collected all our helpful guides for buying, selling and renting in and around Washington, DC in one place. Start browsing below!
First-Timer Primers
Intro guides for first-time home buyers
Unique Spaces
Awesome and unusual real estate from across the DC Metro