Nashville Civic Design Center
Case Study: Micro-Housing Micro-Housing Micro-housing is a form of residential development that comprises units ranging from 2001 to 400 square feet (sq. ft.) in size.2 Each unit has a sleeping area, dining area, and bathroom resulting in creative design solutions to fit these necessities in a tight space. Many micro-housing units include complex built-ins constructed along the walls, like fold-out desks and sofas, a Murphy bed, built-in refrigerators, fold-out closets and cabinets. The kitchens are usually not fully equipped and utilize space-saving applications like combination microwave/convection ovens and rangetops. The only interior walls in most units are for Sample micro-unit enclosing the bathroom.3 To compensate for such small Photo courtesy: Hoffman-Madison Waterfront living quarters, micro-housing developments offer group kitchens, communal living rooms, outdoor space, and conference rooms. Additionally, micro-housing is typically located in dense urban neighborhoods with a variety of diversions, stores, and restaurants within walking distance. The communal spaces in micro-housing developments and their location in vibrant neighborhoods are what offset the limitations of minimal square footage. A survey conducted for Boston Mayor Thomas Menino, an advocate of micro-apartments, claims that the 30% of Boston residents between the ages of 20 and 34 are more interested in proximity to work, transportation, and good restaurants than square footage. The same survey found that only 30% of this demographic thinks of a 300 sq. ft. apartment as too small. 4 Many young professionals value amenities and location in a lively urban environment over housing size, and according to city planners, this is the target demographic for micro-housing. While young professionals are drawn to the social and cultural diversity of urban living, developers believe that empty-nester baby boomers are seeking out urban condominiums with less maintenance demands.5 Less square footage allows for cheaper rental prices, making micro-housing an affordable alternative to studios and one-bedroom apartments. Microhousing has the potential to relieve housing costs, improve diversity of housing stock, and regenerate urban growth in many U.S. cities. This case study displays the possibility for micro-housing in Nashville’s urban neighborhoods given the state of the real estate market and changing demographics. Included are several examples of micro-housing in large American cities and student-designed concepts for micro-housing units in Nashville’s downtown urban core, designed by The University of Tennessee College of Architecture and Design’s Nashville Urban Design Summer Studio.
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Bui, Tammy. Living Small In a Big City: Micro Units. June 14, 2013. http://blog.wegowise.com/blog2/bid/148939/Living-Small-In-a-BigCity-Micro-Units (accessed July 15, 2013). 2 Porterfield, Elaine. Now Americans Are Going Crazy About Tiny 'Micro' Apartments . June 3, 2013. http://www.businessinsider.com/micro-apartments-2013-6 (accessed July 15, 2013). 3 Paul, Shilpi. DC Almost Had 275-Square Foot Apartments. July 13, 2013. http://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/dcs_near_future_with_micro_studios/5761 (accessed July 15, 2013). 4 Friedlander, David. The Yankees/Red Sox Rivalry of Micro Apartments. February 13, 2013. http://www.lifeedited.com/the-yankeesredsox-rivalry-of-micro-apartments/ (accessed July 22, 2013). 5 Johnson, Steve. Urban Infill: Designing For Downtown's Resurgence. March 21, 2013. http://greshamsmith.com/Dialogue/GSPDialogue/March-2013/Urban-Infill-Designing-For-Downtown-s-Resurgence (accessed July 15, 2013).
Nashville Civic Design Center Micro-Housing www.civicdesigncenter.org/citythink
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