ConstructionCharleston Micro House – a new urbanism?

Spend an hour searching the term “Micro house ” on Google and you will find material for a week. So we will not cover history or development here but rather why small living spaces, roughly 500/800 square ft. have a place in today’s urban environment and how we are playing our part in this trend for a new way of urban living.

Micro houses, mini-houses or tiny-houses are really all labels for the same thing, a reaction to the sprawling “McMansion ” of the 1980’s and onward and the desire for the freedom of a more simple lifestyle, embracing the living environment as much as personal space. They are viewed as a continuum to the experience of city living. Live simply, live freely, consume little. It’s not for everyone, it is for the young, the hipster, the artistic, the downsizer, the DINKY, the single parent or key worker wanting to live downtown on their wage.

Look to the cities of Portland, DC, Denver, San Francisco or Seattle for the trend setters here.  But think also how their climate differs greatly from what we have in the lowcountry, and the influence of these 2 key elements: 

• Weather – Charleston is blessed with a near sub tropical climate. For 9 months of the year we can live outside as easily as inside. Heating loads are really nonexistent. 
• Flood level – the lowcountry is just that, it’s low and flood levels bear a significant impact. You cannot build residential property below it by City Zoning Ordinance and for good reason – ask the residents of New Orleans! 

So if we are to introduce the Micro house concept to this beautiful city of Charleston then we need to plan for living outside as comfortably as inside and connect both spaces as a continuum.  We need to find higher ground for the buildings so that they are not 5 or 6 feet or more above ground level and looking correspondingly silly. Do these two restrictions rule out introducing the micro-house concept to the City? Certainly not but we need to be aware of them and develop designs sympathetic to their needs. 

Thought – there is a need for leadership if Micro houses are to become a reality in Charleston. We are building our first modern design on Amherst St. in the East Side, May 2015.  Our second design, a single house of typical Charleston proportions has been approved by Elliotborough Neighborhood committee for Ashe St. also May 2015 and will now go to Zoning.  Our third, much larger development is under consideration for North Charleston.  Further details to follow in this Blog thread.