The document summarizes innovative, smaller, and space-efficient housing types such as micro apartments being built at the University of British Columbia, tiny homes sold by Arched Cabins, tiny house villages in Portland providing housing for homeless populations, conversions of shipping containers into housing, and Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs), cottage clusters, internal home divisions, corner duplexes which provide affordable housing options while respecting the character of neighborhoods. It also provides references and resources on building codes, financing, and best practices related to these alternative housing models.

1. Innovative, Smaller, Space-Efficient
Housing Types
Compiled by Julia McKenna for Community Services Consortium
June 2017
Contact: Julia.McKenna.edu@gmail.com

2. Nano Studio at University of British Columbia Vancouver
Reference Links: https://www.treehugger.com/tiny-houses/nano-student-micro-apartments-university-british-
columbia-ubc.html
• UBC is exploring the use of micro apartments to
help address the demand for affordable student
housing.
• A pilot project plans to build 70 140 sq. ft.
studios in the new Exchange Residence (opening in
2019). Each studio includes a bathroom, kitchen,
and a study/sleeping space.
• It will cost students only CDN $675-$695 per
month to rent -- about half the average monthly
rent in the rest of the city, and much less than the
on-campus average of $1,000 per month.
• 0:24 WATCH: UBC SHHS Nano Suite Virtual Tour
https://vimeo.com/156141434

3. Arched Cabins
Reference Links: archedcabins.com
• Advertise an 8′ x 8′ unit for
just $960.00 or $1352.00 with
upgrades
• Sizes range from the smaller 8′
x 8′ unit through 24′ x 40′
• 4:15 WATCH: Arched Cabins
Tiny House 12' x 8' on trailer
https://www.youtube.com/wa
tch?v=yk9fSy6aF0Y&feature=y
outu.be
• 4:10 WATCH: Build process of
a 14' x 20' Arched Cabin on a
skid
https://www.youtube.com/wa
tch?v=Q2KQXaMqVnA&featur
e=youtu.be

4. Tiny House Villages/ Kenton Pods
Reference Links: https://www.curbed.com/2017/4/10/15238290/tiny-houses-homeless-affordable-housing-portland;
http://www.kgw.com/news/local/homeless/tiny-house-village-for-homeless-women-opens-this-weekend/447209215

5. Shipping Containers
Reference Links: http://www.jetsongreen.com/2014/08/shipping-container-architecture-helping-to-solve-
homelessness.html; http://www.ocregister.com/2017/04/04/how-these-shipping-containers-converted-to-housing-
have-affected-homeless-veterans/; https://www.curbed.com/2017/6/21/15839730/shipping-container-house-for-sale-
buy; http://www.containerhomeplans.org/2015/07/the-cheapest-5-shipping-container-homes-ever-built/;

6. “Innovative” housing
solutions, or …“old” housing
solutions?
• Cottage clusters
• Internal home divisions
• Corner duplexes
• Accessory dwelling units (ADUs)
Reference Links: http://www.oregon.gov/LCD/TGM/docs/SpaceEfficientHousingReport.pdf

7. Cottage Clusters
Cottage clusters are
groups of relatively small
homes, typically oriented
around a shared common
space, such as a
courtyard, garden, quiet
street, or alleyway.
Reference Links: http://www.oregon.gov/LCD/TGM/docs/SpaceEfficientHousingReport.pdf

8. Internal Home Divisions
Where communities have older housing stock,
there may be opportunities for conversions of
homes into multiple units to simultaneously
provide:
• Small, affordable, energy-efficient dwelling units
• Increased density
• Preservation of neighborhoods’ most cherished, beautiful
structures.
Some municipalities allow the internal conversion
of older homes into two or more units in single-
dwelling zones, as long as their exterior is
minimally altered and they retain their single
dwelling appearance.
Reference Links: http://www.oregon.gov/LCD/TGM/docs/SpaceEfficientHousingReport.pdf

9. Corner Duplexes Corner lots have some
advantages to accommodate
additional density consistent
with the single-dwelling
character:
• Two separate street frontages
• More linear feet of on-street
parking
• More available land area in some
platting patterns
• More visually prominent and
tend to sell for more than
interior lots, hence homes built
on them are often larger than
others on the block
Reference Links: http://www.oregon.gov/LCD/TGM/docs/SpaceEfficientHousingReport.pdf

10. Accessory Dwelling Units Accessory dwelling units (ADUs) are
smaller, ancillary dwelling units
located on the same property as a
primary residence.
• Other names: granny flats, in-law
units, studio apartments, and
secondary dwellings.
They can be attached to or
detached from the primary
residence, and are typically located
discreetly on the property in order
to preserve a single-dwelling
appearance from the street.
Reference Links: http://www.oregon.gov/LCD/TGM/docs/SpaceEfficientHousingReport.pdf

11. Benefits of Smaller Housing Types
Benefits of ADU’s
 Create new housing units while respecting the look
and scale of single dwelling neighborhoods
 Increase the housing stock of existing neighborhoods
 Allow more efficient use of existing housing stock
and infrastructure
 Provide a mix of housing that responds to changing
family needs and smaller households
 Provide a means for residents, particularly seniors,
single parents, and families with grown children, to
remain in their homes and neighborhoods, and
obtain extra income, security, companionship and
services
 Provide a broader range of accessible and affordable
housing
Benefits of Micro-Housing:
 Simple lifestyle
 Housing choice
 Affordable housing
 Transitional housing
 Low carbon footprint
 Independence and mobility
 Dignity and self-sufficiency
 Communal living opportunities
Reference Links: http://www.slideshare.net/EmilyRBrown/brownovercoming-barriers-to-microhousing

12. Added Flexibility Across the Life Span

13. ADU Resources
 The INS & OUTS of Accessory Dwelling Units by Steve MacIntyre, Planner, City of Columbia and Dylan
Powell, Project Architect at PWArchitects, Inc. http://www.slideshare.net/PWArchitects/adu-lecture-
slf2014final
 Eli Spevak reporting to DLCD on ADU, Corner Duplexes, Internal Conversations, and Cottage Clusters
http://www.oregon.gov/LCD/TGM/docs/SpaceEfficientHousingReport.pdf
 APA journal has a tiny house, tent city zoning best practices document: http://cnhrpc.org/wp-
content/uploads/2015/09/APA-Zoning-Practice-Tiny-Houses.pdf
 Santa Cruz template, ADU adopted design review template:
http://www.cityofsantacruz.com/home/showdocument?id=8875
 The 2015 International Development Code is updated to allow for tiny houses
http://sustainablebuildingcodes.blogspot.com/2010/11/tiny-house-building-code-compliance.html
and http://www.iccsafe.org/codes-tech-support/codes/2015-i-codes/irc/
 ADU as affordable option providing flexibility: http://lilypadhomes.org/about-us/
 Portland Space Efficient Work Group: http://www.orangesplot.net/space-efficient-housing-initiative/
 Portland Residential Infill Project https://www.portlandoregon.gov/bps/71816
https://www.portlandoregon.gov/bps/article/594799

14. ADU Link to Energy Efficiency
Oregon Department of Environmental Quality
http://www.oregon.gov/deq/mm/Pages/Green-Building.aspx
Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) Resources
 Finance Guide for ADUs
 ADU Survey Evaluation Report for Portland ADU Owners
 ADU Survey Results for Portland, Eugene, and Ashland, Oregon
 Accessory Dwelling Units - Take the First Step View a short video that
explains the benefits and flexibility that ADUs can add to your property.
 accessorydwellings.org
 ADU Zoning Code Matrix
Building Codes Division (BCD) Green Building & Sustainable Construction
https://www4.cbs.state.or.us/exs/bcd/betterbuildings/archives.cfm/categor
y/green-building

15. Tiny House Village Resources
 Overcoming the Barriers to Micro-Housing: Tiny Houses, Big Potential by Emily Brown
http://www.slideshare.net/EmilyRBrown/brownovercoming-barriers-to-microhousing
 “A Legal Path for Tiny House Communities” by Tent City Urbanism:
http://www.tentcityurbanism.com/2014/10/a-legal-path-for-tiny-house-communities.html
 Tent City Urbanism by Andrew Heben
 HUD case study on cottage ordinances from Kirkland, WA:
https://www.huduser.gov/portal/casestudies/study_102011_2.html ;
 “Tiny Houses for the Homeless” video from PBS:
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/2014/10/10/october-10-2014-tiny-houses/24263/
 Dan Bryant Ted Talk about Opportunity Village: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNNkHjMUCmw
 Tiny House Village Toolbox from SquareOne Villages: https://www.squareonevillages.org/toolbox
 Mingoya, Catherine. (2015). “Building Together. Tiny House Villages for the Homeless: A Comparative
Case Study.” Unpublished master’s thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Available at:
https://dusp.mit.edu/sites/dusp.mit.edu/files/attachments/news/mingoya_2015.pdf
 Upcoming publication from University of Michigan PhD Student Jeffrey Albanese on tiny house
communities.