Thesis Compilation Compressed

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Caroline Corriveau, M. Arch, 2014-2015An Architectural Thesis Proposal
INTENTIONAL
LIVING
Rethinking Communities & Connections

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Intentional Living: Rethinking Communities & Connections
Of course my dearest gratitude will always extend to
those closest to me who have encouraged, pushed, and even
shoved me in the direction of my most cherished dreams. They
are the ones who have checked in on a weekly basis, for the past
eight years, to ensure that I am still trucking along.
To the strong and supportive faculty at Wentworth who
have consistently challenged my design strength, creativity, and
innovation. An enormous thanks to my patient thesis advisors,
Anne-Catrin Schultz, Elizabeth Ghiseline, and Krists Karklins.
Honorable mention must go to the pioneers of the Small
House Movement: Lloyd Khan, Sarah Susanka, Jay Shafer, and
Dee Williams. The words and actions of Tammy Strobel, Ryan
Mitchell, and Andrew Heben, of the movement, have also in-
spired me to push further into this thesis and begin to make it a
reality. These are the people who have inadvertently encouraged
thousands of people to live within their means and to
live intentionally.
SPECIAL THANKS

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Richie Norton, Author
“Intentional living is the art of making our own choices
before others’ choices make us.”

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Current-day suburbia, with its mass-produced houses that have little to distin-
guish uniqueness, does little to encourage interaction between neighbors, family, and
friends. We are disconnected from the land, of which we could not live without. We are
separated from the livelihood that surrounds us as suburbia suggests we retreat to our
own homes with our children in their own rooms. This track that we Americans are on
is not necessarily beneficial to our social development. With community members who
do not contribute to the prosperity of the town or village to which they belong, progress
in community development cannot continue as businesses and institutions ensue de-
velopment on the outskirts of towns. With a new master community plan - one that in-
corporates small and customized homes, personal connections, efficient land use, and
a close proximity to places of work, play, and commerce - we can collectively achieve a
higher quality of life, health, prosperity, and therefore happiness. This thesis exploration
proposes an alternative solution to suburban communities on the periphery of the city.
THESIS ABSTRACT

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multi- [muhl-tee]- a space, tool, piece of furniture, or utensil func-
tional [fuhngk-shuh-nl] that can be used in several different ways to
achieve several different results
customize [kuhs-tuh-mahyz] designing something so that it suits very
specific needs of the owner of user
dwelling [dwel-ing] a structure used to live in; a poetic space that
is used as a home
intentional [in-ten-shuh-nl] the deliberate method of enjoying one’s life by
living [liv-ing] making important lifestyle choices
suburbia [suh-bur-bee-uh] the concentrated ring around cities that is less
dense and consists of mostly housing units
peri-urban [peer-ee]-[ur-buh n] a social condition that develops when urban
growth disperses and creates patches of rural
and uban conditions
community [kuh-myoo-ni-tee] a social group of people who usually have
commonalities such as government, history,
culture, and especially geographic location
periphery [puh-rif-uh-ree] the boundary, edge, or outskirts of a city or
other urban condition
KEY WORDS

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TABLE OF
CONTENTS
Thesis Abstract 7.
Key Words 9.
Table of Contents 11.
PART ONE - OVERVIEW 13.
Thesis Statement & Project Description 14.
Solving Problems & Project Goals 16.
Design Program 18.
Public Survey 20.
Criteria of Evaluation 26.

PART TWO - LITERATURE & PRECEDENT RESEARCH 29.
Significant Topics of Research 31.
Precedent Studies 39.
PART THREE - DESIGN RESEARCH 51.
Thesis Probe 52.
Site Analysis 55.
Community Instructions 73.
Prospective Residents’ Profiles 81.
Community Proposal 89.
Conclusions & Discoveries 118.
Appendices 121.
Timeline 121.
Cited Sources 122.

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Anton Clarence
Nelessen, Author
“Anyone who wants to plan and build a community must be able to visualize two- and
three- dimensional space and the four- dimensional impact on the user. One must under-
stand these relationships at the smallest scale first, in order to apply them to a larger scale.”

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PART ONE OVERVIEW

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This community proposal explores the collection of small, intimate residences that
utilize their appropriated land productively, and celebrate the connections between each
house, their occupants, and their shared communal spaces. This type of cohousing com-
munity retains ideals of the original American Dream in encouraging home ownership
pride by requiring the residents to design, plan, and build their own homes. By keeping
building footprints minimal and customized, residents will not only keep their own
maintenance costs low, but also contribute to an environment-preserving society.
THESIS STATEMENT &
PROJECT DESCRIPTION

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Americans have begun to realize that there are alternative
methods of achieving a higher quality of life. We have an option to
minimize our belongings, simplify our lives, and spend more time
focusing on our personal health and interests, as well as relationships
with family and friends. A huge contributor to this alternate way of
living is to return to a community layout prior to the American sprawl
that developed between the 1930s and 1970s.
“People fundamentally want places which are humane
and livable—a good place to live, grow up, and die.
They know that something is missing in their munici-
palities, their subdivisions, their office parks, and their
commercial strip zones. Many people want a shared
sense of stewardship of the land and water, as well has
having a sense of community.”
–Anton Clarence Nelessen
With a new master community plan - one that incorporates
small and customized homes, personal connections, efficient land
use, and a close proximity to places of work, play, and commerce - we
can collectively achieve a higher quality of life, health, prosperity, and
therefore happiness. This thesis exploration proposes an alternative
solution to suburban communities on the periphery of the city.
Current-day suburbia, with its mass-produced houses that have
little to distinguish uniqueness, does little to encourage interaction be-
tween neighbors, family, and friends. We are disconnected from the land,
of which we could not live without. We are separated from the livelihood
that surrounds us as suburbia suggests we retreat to our own homes with
our children in their own rooms. This track that we Americans are on is not
necessarily beneficial to our social development. With community members
who do not contribute to the prosperity of the town or village to which they
belong, progress in community development cannot continue as businesses
and institutions ensue development on the outskirts of towns.
“Sprawl is a pattern of physical development characterized
by the decentralization of land uses… Sprawl is the physi-
cal/financial image of the American Dream as envisioned in
the 1939 New York World’s Fair. Sprawl requires the use of a
private vehicle to move from one single-use zone to anoth-
er… The sprawl pattern discourages a sense of community.
It encourages land speculation. It requires high infrastruc-
ture investments. It requires high-energy consumption and
is a major source of air and water pollution. Sprawl is the
ultimate pattern of secular consumerism.”
– Anton Clarence Nelessen
In order to prove our successes to our fellow travelers and wage
earners, many of us tend to purchase the biggest and best material products
such as high-quality electronics, motor vehicles, and mansions. We aspire to
use these material items to display our achievements to the world and this
tends to end unfavorably with high debt, longer work hours in order to pay
off bills and credit cards, and less time to enjoy. Luckily, however, that view
has begun to change.

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SOLVING PROBLEMS
& PROJECT GOALS
SOLVING PROBLEMS

1. Monotony - lack of individuality, creativity, and uniqueness in today’s housing
2. Low quality of construction when the owner is not involved (energy performance is
at risk)
3. Lack of pride in home ownership (usually occurs when owner is not involved)
4. High and/or constant amount of debt the average American holds (people living
above their means)
5. Lack of strong social connections within communities (less and less walkable com-
munities, higher traffic)
6. Society’s threat of some sort of loss when you deviate from the housing standards
(what is socially acceptable)

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PROJECT GOALS
1. To give American homeowners an alternate housing option that
is affordable and can help reduce the current reliance on banks, thus helping
consumers save money. This will make home ownership more possible (and
common) without the fear of high debt and threats of foreclosure.
2. To encourage individuals and families to be proactive about their
living situations and to take pride in owning their own home. The proposal is
meant to get people involved in the process of designing, in some cases build-
ing, and maintaining their homes.

4. To strengthen social connections and relationships within the resi-
dential community that could then reach out to the larger community.
5. To encourage the use of quality and recycled materials as well as
sustainable features to bring to life unique and creative housing designs.

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DESIGN PROGRAM HOMES
The community proposal consists of homes and community spaces. In order to devel-
op a specific and thorough prototype, there are six different types of homes designed in order
to suit the needs of various residents:
A Single Occupant
Two Occupants (a young couple)
Two Occupants + New Baby (addition to the home)
Two Occupants (a retired couple)
A Small Family of Three (i.e. one child or relative)
A Larger Family of Four (i.e. two children or other occupants)
For the purposes of this thesis project, each unit is customized to the specific users’
needs and lifestyles, and do not exceed 800 square feet. Profiles of these habitants were fab-
ricated in order to demonstrate the benefits that are to be gained by tailoring the layouts and
materials to the users’ tastes.
The consistent features of each housing unit include: kitchen, bathroom, and bed-
room. However, not every unit needs an office, dining room, or even a living room. The bed-
rooms may or may not be privatized, depending on the specific user. The sizes, number, and
types of appliances throughout the home also vary from type to type, based on the number
and nature of the occupants.

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COMMUNITY SPACES
One community building will be built by the community for practical and
recreational uses. There will be storage spaces for items that will not fit in the
individual housing units, such as: tools, bicycles, hiking and camping gear, lawn-
mowers, shovels, and rakes. It will also be used for farmers’ markets and other
community gatherings. Inside you will find a kitchen and dining area, exercise
room, kids’ play area, laundry, and a place for residents to collect their daily mail.
It is simple yet maintained by the community, and not by a separate owner.
Other community spaces include gardens, a playground, community
recreation courts that double as a parking area at night, and most of the grounds
on the site. The site remains open and fluid so that the residents can freely move
throughout the site and to the community spaces. It is inviting to anyone coming
to visit the community and looking for more information on the way they live.

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CRITERIA OF EVALUATION
The successes of this project can be evaluated using a few different measures. One of the
most important aspects of this proposal is evaluating whether or not it is presented in such a way
that attracts people of various backgrounds and lifestyles. Without this appealing presentation,
it would be difficult to assess whether or not individuals and families would intentionally own a
primary residence in such a community. The development project could potentially fall flat if we
were unable to find potential buyers.
The unique process that will be used to develop this community proposal will also be
used to determine whether or not the community master plan will be successful. The interviews
and discussions conducted during the project’s creative process will outline a set of criteria and
needs of the people who will theoretically be residing in the new community. This will allow for
specific objectives to be met. Objectives such as spatial needs, desired materials, and preferences
regarding the layout of the dwellings. In order to evaluate this criteria, I must first understand
how to incorporate the needs of the occupants and then I can reflect on the finished project and
ask myself:
1 - Does what I achieved increase the quality of life for the community’s inhabi-
tants?
2 - Are they able to live intentionally and focus on their health and on their
personal relationships?

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A SUCCESSFUL PROJECT WILL ILLUSTRATE THE FOLLOWING
SET OF VALUES:
1 - Connection between occupants encouraged through language of architecture
2 - Sustainable features through integrated systems and use of the land
3 - Sense of a truly connected, social community
4 - Self-sufficient features such as community gardens and farmers’ markets
5 - Close proximity to places of work, play, education, and commerce

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SUBURBAN residential design that is
liberating
multi-functional
INTENTIONAL political
INTERACTIVE
relevant
tailor-made
location-based
Innovative
Specialized
COMMUNITY-BASED
Unique
anti-material
VISIONARY
Anti-Capitalist
Sustainable
endearing
CLEVER
CUSTOM
Specific
CONNECTING
Relationships
efficient

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PART TWO LITERATURE & PRECEDENT
RESEARCH

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Jane Jacobs, Author
“There is no logic that can be superimposed on the city;
people make it, and it is to them, not buildings that we must fit our plans.”

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SIGNIFICANT TOPICS
OF RESEARCH
1. The Tiny House Movement in the United States
2. The American Dream and Suburbia
3. Martin Heidegger’s Building, Dwelling, Thinking

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The Tiny House Movement has been growing since the turn of the century.
Key characters such as Dee Williams, pictured above, chose to simplify their lives and
researched and tested to see just how small they could live comfortably and happily.
People nationwide still have the desire to own their own dwelling and still remain
debt-free. By building a tiny house they are able to pay off their debts quickly due to
low utility bills and maintenance costs, and no rent or mortgage to consistently pay
each month.
Many tiny house owners strive to design and build their own house, which
brings a sense of pride. Jay Shafer began to play another leading role in the movement
when he popularized the tiny houses on wheels with his companies Tumbleweed Tiny
House Company, and later Four Lights Tiny House Company. One might argue that
the attraction of do-it-yourself home owners and builders would eliminate the need
for architects. Yet if there was a derivative of the tiny house movement, it would be
small houses on foundations that incorporated energy efficient elements and worked
collaboratively with other units to form a community. This is where master planners
and architects would come in to design a well-oiled community machine.
Dee Williams | A Key Figure of the Tiny House Movement
The Tiny House Movement
in the United States

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Small homes became a viable housing option during the 2007-2010 financial
crisis in America. Building codes, however, require minimum square footages that
exceed those of tiny homes, and so many tend to “park” their homes on land owned
by family members and friends. Community members are often concerned that the
value of their property will decrease if tiny homes become the norm in their com-
munity. Although evidence proves that tiny comes can contribute to increased prop-
erty values due to density, some continue to oppose this fact because of the increase
in property taxes.
Just as any new product or radical idea, there
will be encounters with skeptical people. A solution to
this is to embrace the overall lifestyle of those who live
in tiny homes and create entire communities consisting
of only this type of dwelling. To diversify the neighbor-
hood and to continue to achieve a high quality of life,
each unit would be customized to the specific inhabi-
tant.
Samples | Two Possible Layouts of Tiny House Interiors

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The American Dream
& Suburbia
The notion of the American Dream began with the Declaration of Independence
and the foundation that “all men are created equal.” It laid down a set of standards for
Americans to have the access to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. This mean
that all citizens of this national would have the chance to be successful, grow prosper-
ous, and move up the social ladder - all things achieved through hard work.
Now, in the twenty-first century, the American Dream has grown to include
home ownership and social and financial ladders. There are now competitions between
neighbors at the workplace, within a group of friends and families, and in the home-
town. This competitive nature has caused bigger companies and businesses to sprout up
outside of residential neighborhoods, forcing a wide sprawl of municipalities.
Suburbia began developing on the outskirts of city as a place to reside that would
still be convenient for commuting into the city by train or motor vehicle. It quickly
became quite monotonous and those who chose to live in suburban neighborhoods
have lived a life based on commuting to and from work, stores, healthcare facilities, and
educational facilities.

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“The vision of the American Dream that dom-
inated from the 1930s to the 1970s faded in an
attempt to accommodate sprawl, and the posi-
tive quality of the traditional small community
deteriorated. No one realized then that the same
amount of new construction could have been
formed into one more more new hamlets, vil-
lages, or traditionally designed neighborhoods”
(Nelessen xi).
“Considerable amounts of time are required to use the current pattern of
sprawl. Time is at a premium. Time spent with children, the family, with neighbors,
and with community is limited. Sometimes parents have little time for themselves. Of-
ten both parents, in the shrinking number of nuclear families, must work long hours
to make all of the payments to maintain the programmed consumer status; some even
hold two jobs to support their large house and two cars. Imagine the new sprawled
developments with 3 people living in 3,500 square feet, an attached two- or three-car
garage, and several rooms with no furniture. You bought it so your friends and as-
sociates will think “you’ve made it.” Have you? Congratulations, you’re now a major
contributor to sprawl, the ultimate consumer. “But,” you say, “there are no alternatives
that I can afford half way between where we work. Who suffers most in this? I think it
is the children first and the community next” (Nelessen xiii).
Tract Housing | Colorado Springs, CO

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Martin Heidegger’s
Building, Dwelling, Thinking
Martin Heidegger was a German philosopher who would often express his belief
that there was much more behind the true nature of things that we experience in life
than we had ever believed. His writings on poetic dwelling relate well to the underlying
problem that I am striving to solve in this thesis process.

Suburbia has taken away creativity, connections, and the poetry of dwelling
peacefully. Martin Heidegger argues that the general public believes building and dwell-
ing to be two completely different events, when in reality they are one. This describes
the ideal notion that architects and planners can encourage poetic dwelling with deeper
connections of the inhabitants to their homes by means of more thoughtful planning.
Instead of mass developing houses, building them quickly and cheaply, and
selling them separately once the neighborhood has been made “overnight,” individually
creating homes with thought, care, and attachment can make a great different in the way
we live. This allows for more enjoyment of the home and a satisfaction in spending time
there.
“The way in which you are and
I am, the manner in which we
humans are on earth, is buan,
dwelling” (Heidegger 96).

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“We attain to dwelling, so it seems, only by
means of building. The latter, building, has the former,
dwelling, as its goal. Still, not every building is a dwell-
ing. Bridges and hangars, stadiums and power stations
are buildings but not dwellings; railway stations and
highways, dams and market halls are built, but they are
not dwelling places. Even so, these buildings are in the
domain of our dwelling. That domain extends over these
buildings and yet is not limited to the dwelling place...
we take dwelling and building as two separate activities,
an idea that has something correct in it. Yet at the same
time by the means-end schema we block our view of the
essential relations. For building is not merely a means
and a way toward dwelling - to build is in itself already
to dwell” (Heidegger 95).
Theory Studies Class | Fall 2013 | 3D Art on Canvas

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PRECEDENT STUDIES
1. Boneyard Studies
2. Caravan, Tiny House Hotel
3. Dignity Village
4. Macy Miller
5. Nubanusit Neighborhood & Farm

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Boneyard Studios is a unique community of tiny houses that was developed in
Washington, D.C. by separate owners. It is a small community of artists that showcase
a condition of urban infill. There is only one member who resides in the community
full-time; however, these individuals all come here to work and play and explore their
interests. Some play instruments and others are visual artists.

Included in the community package are four tiny houses, one shipping contain-
er for shared storage space, a fire pit, a patio, and a community garden. While designing
these homes for their own residence and living elsewhere in apartments, the owners
would conduct monthly tests to see if they could live without certain amenities or luxu-
ries to which they had previously become accustomed. For example, one of the owners
knew she liked to entertain, and so she designed her kitchen to be large and spacious
and open to the living room, which she had to make a sacrifice on square footage.
Although sacrifices need to be made in order to live simply, there are many
benefits to this lifestyle, according to the inhabitants at Boneyard Studios. The gentle-
man who lives in his tiny house on the lot full-time has been able to enter what he calls
“part-time retirement” due to the savings he has acquired from low utility and mainte-
nance costs, as well as no monthly mortgage or rent payment. He has been able to take
Boneyard Studios
Washington, D.C.

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off for months at a time on cross-country trips and trips overseas to European
countries without having to worry about money as much as he would have, had he
stayed in his apartment.
Instead of working full weeks and into the weekends, the residents of this
community have been able to work part-time, cutting back on strenuous hours of
work in order to pursue other passions. Boneyard Studios showcases those pas-
sions, as well as holds tiny house events, including hosting Dee Williams, one of the
founders of the tiny house movement (top-right) to speak for the public.
One of the tips that comes from two of the four individuals who utilize
Boneyard Studios is that “living in a community brings its own complexities, but
it also connects you with others who have similar interests and allows you to share
storage, common spaces, and utilities” (Mitchell 123). The hard work of building
these tiny homes without professional help has certainly seemed to have paid off.

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Caravan, Tiny House Hotel
Portland, OR
The Caravan, Tiny House Hotel was planned and realized in Portland, Ore-
gon by a couple who were intrigued with tiny houses and their efficient use of space.
It was created on a commercial lot and seems much like a campground. The couple,
Deb Delman and Kol Peterson, went through a rocky road journey attempting to
make sure local government officials would be on board with the idea and were finally
able to see it through due to those in the government who were excited to see such an
unorthodox business take flight.

There are usually three houses on the lot in Oregon, each different and de-
signed and built by local tiny house owners. This allows Deb and Kol to rotate the
houses and provide some exciting variety to their paying visitors, and also allows local
builders to showcase the work that they can provide to those who may want to build
and live in one in the future. Each house has a different style and square footage rang-
ing from 100 to 160 square feet.

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Deb and Kol explain that “outdoor spaces are
key to tiny houses. They can increase your usable space
and help you build community bonds” (Mitchell 58).
This can be seen in photographs of individuals and fam-
ilies enjoy the outdoor weather together in the central
community space of the tiny house hotel.
Caravan acts as a small-scale prototype of the
intentional-living community proposed in this pro-
spectus. Even the business aspect of this hotel brings
together community members such as local government
officials, local builders, and those visiting and staying
Portland, Oregon. It also provides a sort of test run for
those interested in living a tiny house lifestyle.

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Dignity Village
Portland, OR
Dignity Village is slightly different from the previous two case studies. It is also
located in Portland, Oregon; however, Dignity Village is a city-owned village of tiny
houses used as a bridge from homelessness to home ownership. It is currently zoned
as a transitional campground seven miles outside of the center of the city. It consists of
custom built tiny homes that were constructed by the residents and volunteers. The cost
to live in this village is $25 per month.
Much like the previous two case studies, Dignity Village embraces a self-governed
community lifestyle that operates with the cooperation of every member. Admittance
into Dignity Village is based on an application process and there is an overall under-
standing that is instilled during this process that members abide by a certain set of rules
and they must give back to the community based on person skill sets. Members have
taken it upon themselves to form committees based on these skill sets that work toward
bettering the community. Examples of these committees’ tasks are sanitation, outreach,
and gardening. Each individual member is expected to dedicate only ten hours per week
toward the community.
“This model has proven to be an economically efficient method for dealing with
the issue of homelessness, with an average daily cost of $4.28 per person per day in 2007.

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This has been compared with other local programs
throughout the city - warming centers averaged at
$12.59, emergency shelters at $20.92, rental assistance
at $24.60, supportive housing at $32.37, and transitional
housing at $66.56. This demonstrates that a self-help
approach not only provides the unhoused with dignity,
but it does so in a way that is very cost-effective” (Heben
136).
The idea of this community is to be transitional,
and so a high turnover rate could possibly be expected.
Because of this, the village could drastically continue
to change and thrive because it is truly an autonomous
community.
“A (second) common piece of advice was to
have smaller dwellings. We were informed [by the core
members of Dignity Village] that larger personal liv-
ing spaces encouraged residents to isolate themselves,
and lessened the likelihood for social interaction and
growth. This was seen to be damaging to the communi-
ty as a whole. Consequently, they recommended we use
even smaller dwelling units and focus more on creating
usable community spaces where the village could gath-
er” (Heben 143).

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Macy Miller
Boise, ID
Macy Miller was a 27-year-old woman working as an architect in Boise, Idaho
when her marriage failed and her house was foreclosed on by the big, bad bank. She
decided she did not wish to go through the process of paying a mortgage once again
and began building her very own tiny house. This house, because it was designed and
built by Macy herself, was customized to her lifestyle and personal needs. She used
mostly reclaimed materials and designed the roof to be a green roof. Macy was able to
build the house in just slightly over $11,000.

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Feeling pressured by society into purchasing things to store in her home in
order to prove herself as a young professional, Macy realized the unhealthy pattern
of buying unnecessary items to keep in her house just as she was noticing that the
greatest expense in her life was her home.
She has sacrificed a formal living room space and privatized bedroom in
order to have a full kitchen, bathroom with a standard shower, washer / dryer unit,
and queen sized bed. Early in the design process she began to weed out the belong-
ings she would not be needing in the tiny house and was able to plan the spaces
accordingly. She says, “[There is] very little that I need in this world, but I’ve been
successful enough and I can afford a lot of excess in this house” (Mitchell 105).
Since Macy has been a very busy
professional with an active social life, it
was easier than expected to transition into
this new lifestyle. Now that she has settled,
she would like to focus on possibly work-
ing from home and beginning a small on-
line business. The reason she is able to do
this is because of low living expenses and
low maintenance costs.

Macy Miller stresses her financial
independence by advising: “Living in a
tiny house will likely reduce your debt and
allow you the financial freedom to pursue
your passions. It also allows you to more
easily weather financial ups and downs,”
(Mitchell 107).

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Nubanusit Neighborhood & Farm
Peterborough, NH
Neighborhoods are among the most promising solutions to many of today’s most chal-
lenging social and environmental concerns.
Communities balance the traditional advantages of home ownership with the benefits
of shared common facilities and ongoing connections with neighbors.
Homes are smaller, attached and/or clustered, taking up less land, reducing the nega-
tive environmental impact of development, and preserving more land for natural veg-
etation, wildlife, and recreation. The homes, often private residences, have the features
of conventional homes (kitchen, living-dining room, bedrooms), but with access to
common facilities and space.
Neighbors gather at a Common House for some meals and activities, which helps make
houses have a smaller carbon footprint by sharing space, thus using fewer resources to
build, maintain, and heat.
W H A T I S C O H O U S I N G ?
Nubanusit Neighborhood and Farm is the first eco-friendly cohousing community in
New Hampshire and is regionally recognized for its vision.

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Cohousing is a type of collaborative housing
that attempts to overcome the alienation of
modern subdivisions where few people really
get to know their neighbors.
Cohousers are united by a mutual desire
to live an environmentally-sound lifestyle
and enjoy a cooperative, inter-generational
neighborhood.
They value energy-efficient and re-
source-conserving design, good architecture,
and natural beauty.
Cohousers do not necessarily have a com-
mon political or religious philosophy, nor do
they share finances.
Governance - how decisions are made - is almost
always by consensus. Consensus decision-making is
both making community agreements and the process
for doing so.
This type of housing began in Denmark in the late
1960s, and spread to North America in the late 1980s.
There are now more than a hundred cohousing com-
munities completed or in development across the
United States and Canada.

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PART THREE DESIGN RESEARCH

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THESIS PROBE CHARETTE
As an exercise to get our thoughts flowing for the very
beginning of our individual thesis journeys, we dug our hands
into the making part of the process. Certain, vertical-oriented
dimensions were given that we were not to exceed.

At this leg of the journey, after the completed research
and before the creation of the community prototype, I knew
that I was to be proposing an alternative condition to the cur-
rent options, particularly that of suburbia.
I then quickly developed a way in which to showcase
examples of all the current housing options available to single
residents and families. I later determined that this thesis had
much more to do with home owning than illustrated in the
initial probe, which included rentable townhouses and apart-
ments along with suburban and rural houses.

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The central box represents
the eclectic and creative type of com-
munity that would later be proposed.
The backdrop of the center wooden
box illustrates the type of geographic
location on the periphery of a city. The
required landscape does not have to be
too rural and certainly is not required
to be urban. However, it can be either.

55
SITE ANALYSIS
1. Proximity to Boston
2. Education, City Amenities, Public Transit
3. Walkability
4. Low Traffic Area
5. Green Space

56
PROXIMITY TO BOSTON
SITE PARAMETERS
This community proposal will be a general condition that can be applied in
numerous instances throughout the nation. This new community type can take place
on the outskirts of a major city or at the edge of a smaller city. The main point is that
the site will mark the transition from a dense, urban area, to a more rural or peri-urban
area. The following parameters are crucial to a successful creation of this proposal.
- area suitable for a “downtown area” with community buildings
- close proximity to businesses, offices, retail stores, educational facilities,
and public transportation
- soil suitable for growing plants
- safe and walkable, public areas
- varied topography in order to take advantage of sustainable orientation
methods
18 minute drive, 28 minutes on the Haverhill Line

57

58
SEWALL WOODS PARK
Melrose, MA
CHOSEN PROJECT SITE
The project site will be on the periphery of a Boston. It is a piece of land in the
city of Melrose, Massachusetts, currently known as Sewall Woods Park. Its location suits
the parameters and will assist in the success of the proposed community.
With varied topography and close proximity to public transit, educational facil-
ities, stores, parks and lakes, the site is also safe and walkable with many neighboring
residential communities.
The arbitrariness of the site’s shape will allow for unique connections between
the community’s housing units.
Partial Conservation Land and Town-Owned Park

59

60
EDUCATION, CITY AMENITIES,
& PUBLIC TRANSIT
The town of Melrose has many incentives for potential home owners. It is only
4.8 square miles and yet it is sprinkled with quiet neighborhoods and high quality city
amenities, health care facilities, and schools.
In the city the population is nicely spread out with 23.5% under the age of 20,
4.0% from 20 to 24, 27.4% from 25 to 44, 29.2% from 45 to 64, and 15.9% who were 65
years of age or older. The median age was 41.9 years in 2010. For every 100 females there
were 88.8 males.
The Melrose School district runs several schools including The Franklin Early
Childhood Center, five elementary schools (Roosevelt, Lincoln, Winthrop, Hoover, and
Horace Mann), Melrose Veterans Memorial Middle School, and Melrose High School.
The city also has a private elementary school, St. Mary’s, run by one of the city’s Catholic
churches of the same name.
There are many health care facilities, as well. Melrose-Wakefield Hospital, a 234
bed non-profit hospital, was home to the world’s first cochlear implant and laser surgery
and it was among the first hospitals in the country to offer same day surgery. In addition
to the hospital, there are many pediatricians, specialists, dentists and dermatologists.
Also, the city’s Milano Senior Center provides social, recreational, health, and educa-
tional programs for Melrose’s senior citizens.
The city of Melrose is located seven miles north of Boston. Although the only
highway in Melrose is a tiny part of Route 99, the city has access to many nearby high-
ways including Route 1 in Saugus, Interstate 93 in Stoneham, Massachusetts Route 16 in
Everett and Route 128/Interstate 95 in Wakefield.
The city is also served by the MBTA. Service includes five bus routes: 106, 131,
132, 136 and 137. There are three commuter rail stations: Wyoming Hill, Melrose/Cedar
Park, and Melrose Highlands. Oak Grove, the northern terminus of the MBTA’s Orange
Line subway system, is located in Malden on the Melrose city line. Oak Grove is primar-
ily a park-and-ride station with 788 parking spaces.

61
RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS
CHURCHES, BANKS, HOSPITALS
TRANSPORATION, BUS STOPS
EDUCATION BUILDINGS
WATER FEATURES
COMMERCIAL, RETAIL BUILDINGS
CITY PARKS

62
WALKABILITY
within walking distance of city amenities, schools, and public transit
Melrose, MA is only 4.8 square miles in area. The diagram on the right shows
that the public amenities described on the previous page are not a far walk away from
Sewall Woods Park! Although public transportation is not an issue in Melrose, this type
of walkability in a town is important to this project’s encouragement of preserving and
strengthening the environment.
Within five minutes, a walker can reach a designated public bus stop and numer-
ous quiet streets for pleasure walking or exercise. Within a ten minute walk, residents
of the proposed community could reach Ell Pond, the high school, two churches, an
elementary school, and some retail stores. Within a 15 minute walk, pedestrians could
reach the hospital, town hall, most retail stores, and many other parts of the city.

63
15 minute walk
.75 mile radius
10 minute walk
.50 mile radius
5 minute walk
.25 mile radius
Walking radii determined with an
average walking speed of 3mph and
consideration of winding roads.

64
LOW TRAFFIC AREA
Although the southern-most edge of Sewall Woods Park lies on a main road -
Lynn Fells Parkway - the bordering streets are actually quite narrow, thus discouraging
heavy and fast traffic through the residential neighborhoods. There are pockets of these
conditions throughout Melrose. The exposure of the proposed community by way of the
main road with drivers moving through the city could be very beneficial to the attrac-
tion of new residents.
narrow streets on the immediate perimeter of the site discourages heavy and rapid traffic

65
HEAVY TRAFFIC
AVERAGE TRAFFIC
LIGHT TRAFFIC

66
GREEN SPACE
currently 9 acres of vegetation and walking trails
Sewall Woods Park is 9 acres of trees, low vegetation, and a few walking trails.
There are rocky conditions, as well; however, that is along the bottom edge of the site,
where the land is conserved. Although some trees will have to be removed for the de-
velopment of homes and community spaces in the master plan of this thesis, many will
actually be preserved.

67
MAPLES
OAKS
CONIFEROUS
OTHER VEGETATION

68
SITE PHOTOS
These site photos showcase the size and styles of some of the houses that imme-
diately surround Sewall Woods Park. They also give a decent sense of the width of the
surrounding streets.

69

71
The site model was
designed with context around
Sewall Woods Park to show
some neighboring homes. It
was constructed so that the
park could be removed and
inserts could replace the park
so as to test theories and design
ideas.

73
COMMUNITY
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Guidelines
2. Material Palette
3. Assisting in the Construction

74
GUIDELINES
“The overall aim must be to create an atmosphere where stakeholders can share the enthu-
siasm for design and strive together to create a better quality development. Coding encour-
ages this to happen, and, as in Borneo Sporenburg, can play an important role in helping to
deliver clearly very contemporary architectural and urban design solutions.”
-Graham Paul Smith
(Urban designer and artist who works as an independent consultant and lectures in the Joint Centre for Urban
Design at Oxford Brookes University)

75
1) Residents MUST be involved in the design AND construction of OWN HOME. (NOTE: This may involved seeking professional assistance
from those more knowledgeable in design and construction.)
2) Follow these square footage limits:
SINGLE: 70-200sf
DOUBLE: 70-400sf
TRIPLE: 200-450sf
QUADRUPLE: 400-650sf
QUINTUPLE: 600-850sf
ULTIMATE MAXIMUM: 1000sf
3) Front door directed inward toward community elements.
4) Shed Roof, can have dormers.
5) No more than 2 stories tall.
6) First floor-to-ceiling height must be 8 feet.
7) Must have its own outdoor space (i.e. a patio, deck, garden) that is limited to a 15-foot perimeter.
Patio can be of any NATURAL material and design; however, residents
are responsible for their own walkway and must be made of the same
material as the patio.
8) Restricted to materials palette.
9) Residents MUST remain involved in the immediate community.
10) Residents MUST be environmentally conscious and, if possible, integrate passive heating/cooling systems in their home.

77
1) Local, recycled timber of light coloring. For the exterior, only employ ONE species of wood.
i.e. white pine, yellow birch, beech, or maple
2) Traditional dark red or brown mixed brick (antique or smooth face texture).
i.e. Waterstruck Brick - Brownstone Blend from Morin Brick Co. in Auburn, Maine OR face stone exterior facade from Spaulding Brick Co.
in Wilmington, MA (NOT COMBINED)
3) Curtain wall must be used sparingly and only where completely functional (where it can serve as an agent in passive heating).
4) Energy efficient double or single hung windows. Picture windows must be in proportion to double or single hung windows.
i.e. Andersen’s A-Series Double-Hung Window
5) Robust structural materials to ensure sturdy buildings. If steel is chosen, it must not be exposed.
6) Any rainscreen tiling system must be a dark brown.

i.e. NorthClad ACM Series, Aluminum Composite Tile

78
ASSISTING IN THE CONSTRUCTION
Because not everyone has design, planning, or construction experience, some
simplicities are encouraged in each resident’s home design and realization. These 6 extra
guidelines are mere suggestions that will also help keep construction costs low and help
ease the confusion and frustrations of first-time builders.

79
1. Single wet wall design provided.
2. Slab on grade foundation.
3. Encouragement of single floor homes.
4. When two floors, straight stairs.
5. Strictly orthogonal shapes.
6. Simple shed roofs.

81
PROSPECTIVE RESIDENTS’
PROFILES
1. Single Resident
2. Young Couple
3. Retired Couple
4. Family of Three
5. Family of Four

83
SINGLE RESIDENT
TIM
Tim is a single man who designs and installs signs for different companies. He travels to the
graphic design and sign shop, only 6 miles away, each day. Most days he uses his bicycle, but sometimes
he’ll take his motorcycle. He is an environmentally conscientious individual, as well as a handy man
of sorts. He enjoys turning recycled, reused materials into something that looks brand new and can be
used for many more years to come.
Tim’s father owns a vegetable farm that is located about 40 minutes away. Tim doesn’t mind
driving to far to tend to the farm because he enjoys the work and looks forward to the fresh vegetables
he takes home after helping his father out for a day. There are times when he wished he owned land
nearby on which he could garden for himself, but he rents a second-floor apartment with only a small
deck, big enough for a few pots.

On a more personal level, Tim enjoys entertaining the thought of starting a family in the future
but is very focused on his career that is currently blossoming. As he keeps his finances within reach and
keeps his bills low, he has been able to save up almost enough money for a down payment on a house.
The only other element he craves is a sense of community. Tim likes to give back and to help
out on community projects, yet he is able to find very little opportunity for friendly encounters with his
current neighbors who keep themselves secluded from the outer community.

84
YOUNG COUPLE
JACKI &
ROBERT
Jacki and Robert have been a couple for nearly 3-1/2 years and have always had a
strong relationship. However, due to recent circumstances they have been struggling to
make ends meet and had to move far outside the city in which they work just to find an
apartment they could afford. The long commutes are hard on both of their vehicles and
they have found themselves spending more and more money on car repairs and gas.
More than just car troubles - the long commute and loss of quality time together
has made both Jacki and Robert tired, frustrated, anxious, and has put a strain on their
relationship. They are starting to claim that there is no hope whatsoever for home owner-
ship in their future because of how they have to live paycheck to paycheck.
Jacki and Robert are people who understand the importance of their own health.
They eat wholesome, organic foods, and love taking walks together. It is becoming more
and more difficult to live their lifestyle the way they like because of the price of good,
organic food and because they don’t have much time together at home to take walks.
They need to catch a break!

85
RETIRED COUPLE
AL &
KAREN
Al is 68 years old, retired and looking into the option of traveling throughout his retire-
ment. This is his first time being on a fixed income and is tired of paying a mortgage payment
that he has been paying steadily for almost 30 years. He wants to see more of the country and
also have more time to see his children and grandchildren. Al is a part-time gunsmith and
would like to keep a space for his hobbies and indoor projects for when he is home from travel-
ing.
Karen has a passion for gardening and loves to participate in any and all community
projects. If someone needs help, she will be there to spend the time. She is a lover of the earth,
people, education, animals, and renewable energy. Karen does freelance work creating beautiful
signs for people and businesses. Her best friend and dog, Lila, will always live and work with
her. She likes to visit an off-site farm where she has goats and a horse. Someone else will contin-
ue taking care of them while she and Al are off on their adventures.
At this stage in their lives, a house that allows Karen and Al ownership and financial
freedom would be perfect and right at the core of their needs. The retired couple would no lon-
ger have to worry about mortgages, high utility bills, or thieves breaking into their home while
they are traveling across the country.

86
FAMILY OF THREE
FABIAN,
NANNETTE,
& CAMILA
Nannette is an ESL teacher at an elementary school. First and foremost she teaches En-
glish as a Second Language to Spanish-speaking children of ages 5 to 10. She also teaches young
children the importance of health and the environment while she performs her core duties.
Nannette has to eat a Paleo diet because of medical issues and so she eats lots of protein and
fresh vegetables, which produce a hefty grocery bill. She lives in an apartment where she has little
room to grow her on vegetables, but she does have a few potted tomato and cucumber plants on
her third story-deck.
Fabian grew up on a farm in Colombia, growing and raising everything his family used
and consumed. He has never had use for a car and uses a bicycle and public transportation now
that he’s in the states. He misses the farm and wishes for Camila to grow up understanding the
importance of the earth and of growing your own food to eat.
Camila loves gardening at Granny’s house and wonders why her family can’t have a gar-
den in their apartment. She will be 6 soon and is learning, in her own kindergarten class, how to
grow grass from seeds in a plastic cup with soil and sunlight. She also eats wholesome foods with
her mother and loves taking walks to the park with her father. The park near their apartment isn’t
always open when the family has a chance to go, and so Camila doesn’t always get to have her
outside fix.
It would be nice for the family to be able to live in a place not so close to a busy street so
that Camila could have a yard in which to play.

87
FAMILY OF FOUR
JAMES, DIANE,
GABRIEL &
SOPHIA
Diane and James are also always trying to make ends meet and juggling the two kids
with one car and help from relatives. They try to work opposite shifts when they can so they
don’t have to add daycare to their list of monthly bills. James never had a need for a car and so
he never obtained a license and would always utilize public transportation and walk whenever
he could. This is now proving to be quite difficult with the kids.
Diane rarely has time to take the kids to the park or have much time for walks or out-
door play. Although her intentions are good, the late hours she works doesn’t give her the op-
portunity for much energy in the mornings, which is the time that she has allocated for the kids.

Gabriel is always asking whoever he can to go outside and play. There are kids that live
downstairs that he enjoys playing with, but the front yard (and most accessible to the family)
is too close to the road and is dangerous, especially for the 2-year-old, Sophia. The back yard
belongs to the downstairs neighbors and it is rarely used.
The children need a neighborhood and a safe place to run around and play. It would
benefit Diane and James if they could find local, dependable, and inexpensive daycare so that
they can work normal hours and spend more quality time as a family.

89
COMMUNITY PROPOSAL
1. Master Plan
2. Single Resident Unit
3. Young Couple Unit
4. Possibility of Addition to Unit
5. Retired Couple Unit
6. Family of Three Unit
7. Family of Four Unit
8. Community Building

91
The master plan for the community proposal is a layout that includes all of the
predetermined community space and building, as well as 6 different types of layouts. In
theory, each and every one of these homes would be completely different and unique;
however, for purposes of this thesis and for the sake of time, the 6 different prototypes
have been developed and carefully laid out across the 9 acres.
The homes cannot develop any sort of built environment within 15 feet of the
edge of the site. This is so that outsiders can feel welcome penetrating the new commu-
nity to see what it could potentially offer them, or people they know. Exposure is very
important in this type of unorthodox setting.
Additionally, each home is given a 15-foot perimeter to develop their outdoor
space, patio, fence, etc. Unlike traditional suburban lots that are divvied up precisely,
the placement of the home determines the “lot” orientation and relationship to previ-
ously constructed homes nearby on the site. This develops unique relationships among
all of the homes while creating pockets of community land that is preserved between
the buildings.

92
The most prominently noticed element on the southwestern-most corner of the
site is the vegetable stand where community members sell fresh fruits, vegetables, herbs,
and flowers. There is a car pull-off lane so that visitors won’t be caught dangerously on
the edge of the busy through-way. The stand also holds pamphlets with information on
cohousing and the experiences had by the community members.

93
Intentional Living: Rethinking Communities & Connections The community building is located just above the community gardens, in a
central location on the site. This is where the community gathers for events such as
flea markets, farmers’ markets, dinners, and play dates for children on rainy days. It
is also where members collect their mail, do their laundry, use the weight room, and
cook for guests.

94
Across the street from the community building are recreational courts that are
open during the day and function as parking overnight, since the streets surrounding the
site are too narrow for overnight street parking. Along the edge of the courts are storage
units for large, outdoor equipment that cannot be stored in the small houses. Items in-
clude shovels, rakes, snow blowers, and lawn mowers.

95
Intentional Living: Rethinking Communities & Connections North of the basketball and tennis courts is a hilly park with a water fountain
where community members and other people of Melrose can come to walk the windy
paths or sit on a park bench and look down the hill to the fountain. This is a quiet part
of the neighborhood, as some existing homes are located just south, on the southeast-
ern-most corner of the site.

97
Intentional Living: Rethinking Communities & Connections There is a large portion of the site to the north that is uninterrupted by streets.
This is because the centerpiece is the playground for children to enjoy. It is surround-
ed by housing to the north and east (see left), and to the south (see below). However,
directly to the west is a vernal pool and so that little section of the 9 acres cannot be
developed upon. The playground is at one of the highest elevations on the site, and is
set in from the main path so that there is some preserved green land surrounding it.

98
A more quiet residential portion of the site is located just above the vegetable
stand. This is where singles and retired residents may be drawn to live. It is across from
the gardens and community building, yet there isn’t any foot traffic winding through to
reach the playground, recreational courts, or park, per se. These may be the commuters
that need to reach the bus station quickly each morning and so they have a more direct
route to Lynn Fells Parkway.
As is noticeable, each housing unit has its own unique outdoor space, patio, fenced
in grass, etc. Each material is different, as long as only one, natural material is implement-
ed. The patchwork of pathways helps visitors and members to understand what is the
main walkway and what is a more private path to a home.

99

101
The single unit was designed by Tim, the single man in his later twenties who is a
workaholic but thrives with community projects and farming. He planned his home with
the smallest square footage that he needed, coming in at 182 square feet, no living room,
and an open bedroom and kitchen.
Attempting to save money while living adventurously, Tim figures he will not be
in the house for much more than sleeping, eating, and bathing. This is how he determined
the very simple layout for his cherished home. Now he spends his days working the job
that he loves, bicycling, motorcycling, and working in the gardens and with his father at
his father’s off-site farm.

102
YOUNG COUPLE UNIT
317 sq. ft.

103
This home was designed by Jacki and Robert, the young couple in their later
twenties who were struggling to get by. Because of Jacki’s love of fresh foods and cooking
healthy dishes, she made sure the kitchen was larger than the one in their previous apart-
ment. They also made sure there was a small, designated nook for the two of them to sit
and eat at a table, instead of sitting on the couch in front of the television.
Another necessity was to make the bedroom private from the kitchen and living
room. Robert works nights while Jacki works days. Since they have opposite sleeping
schedules, it was important to them to keep each others’ noise shut off from the other’s
slumber.

104
POSSIBILITY OF ADDITION TO UNIT
404 sq. ft.

105
Down the road a few years, Jacki and Robert’s work schedule begin to regularize
and they decide to start a family. They decide to add on a separate bedroom for the nurs-
ery while still keeping the square footage of their overall home at a minimum.
As you can see on page 88, just right of the playground, if there is room around the
footprint of the home then an addition is possible. The lot will then extend its boundaries
to 15 feet around the new perimeter. However, if another home is built closer to the exist-
ing lot, then the growing home cannot infringe upon that house’s lot.

106
RETIRED COUPLE UNIT
368 sq. ft.

107
This home, designed by Al and Karen, has a fluid floor plan between the bedroom,
kitchen, and living room areas. As mentioned in their profile, Al and Karen plan on doing
some traveling in their retirement and won’t be doing much entertaining at home any-
more. They don’t mind having their sleeping quarters open and visible from the kitchen.
Lila, Karen’s dog, also enjoys moving freely throughout the house without having to get
after her humans to open doors for her.
When Al is home, however, he has many projects that he enjoys tinkering on and
Karen does not like to see the clutter than he creates for himself. They agreed to designate
a private room for his hobbies, in order to keep the mess contained!

108
FAMILY OF THREE UNIT
422 sq. ft.

109
Nannette, Fabian, and even Camila worked together to design this home. The
family of three enjoys cooking together and dancing to musical videos on the television.
The kitchen and living room are open to each other, but the bedrooms are closed off so
that Camila can get her 9+ hours of sleep each night before Kindergarten.
Another strategy was keeping Camila’s room fairly tight and small in size so as
to control the number of toys she has. Nannette and Fabian have taught her that when
one new toy is gifted to her, one old toy must be donated to less fortunate children. In
order to assist in this mentality, the parents are also teaching her to keep her toys and
art supplies tidy and contained within the confines of her room. It certainly helps to
have well-kept green grass and a playground full of kids that entice her to be outside
instead of inside playing with toys, alone.

110
FAMILY OF FOUR UNIT
624 sq. ft.

111
This two-story home was designed by Diane, James, and
Gabriel (Sophia is only 2 years old). With confusing and ever-
changing work schedules, the family of four tends to rely on
babysitters and rarely have a chance to cook together. This could eventually change,
due to the money they will be saving with this new house, but for now they agreed
on a smaller kitchen layout and a larger living room for the kids to play.
Because of the high demands of work and having baby Sophia in the house, Diane
desperately needed a washer/dryer in her home. She tucked it under the stairs. Although they
kept their house footprint as low as they could, the family recognizes the importance of having
separate rooms for the kids, and went up another floor in height. This was important to them,
since Gabriel and Sophia will grow older needing their separate spaces.

113
One community building will be built by the community for practical and recreational uses. There will be storage spaces for items that
will not fit in the individual housing units, such as: tools, bicycles, hiking and camping gear, lawnmowers, shovels, and rakes. It will also be
used for farmers’ markets and other community gatherings. Inside you will find a kitchen and dining area, exercise room, kids’ play area, laun-
dry, and a place for residents to collect their daily mail. It is simple yet maintained by the community, and not by a separate owner.
Other community spaces include gardens, a playground, community recreation courts that double as a parking area at night, and most
of the grounds on the site. The site remains open and fluid so that the residents can freely move throughout the site and to the community
spaces. It is inviting to anyone coming to visit the community and looking for more information on the way they live.

115
Axonometric sections showing spatial qualities within the community building.
Some of the main spaces, such as dining and living, are large, but each space is sim-
ple so as to assist in the construction of the building by the community members.

116
PROCESS MODELS
The process models were created throughout the design process, as a way of
testing different connections made through the new community from the existing
neighborhoods. The inserts were substituted into the initial site model in order to
be tested.

119
Throughout this process I learned to receive flack from individuals coming from many
different angles. There were those who thought that this was a hippie-commune approach to
suburban living; there were developers who couldn’t understand who was profiting from such an
outrageous idea; and there were average Americans who simply couldn’t fathom living with such
little space for their belongings.
It has been obvious that this thesis proposal is not suited for everyone. The people who are
drawn to this proposal are those who have a similar goal of preserving the environment and living
minimally in order to better enjoy their life experiences rather than material items.
Some critics have mentioned that by spreading out the lots in my master plan, I have
merely reproduced suburbia in smaller packages. However, I would disagree simply because of
the strategies of orientation, the liberty taken in creating boundaries, and the connections made
within the community, rather than just to the adjacent street.
There are drastic changes that need to be made in the way that we live so that we are not
forever reliant on banks and the current real estate system. In order to regain our financial free-
dom, as well as conserve our natural, unbuilt environment, we must begin with our
largest finance and impact: our home.

121
APPENDICES RESEARCH SOURCES

122
Archer, John. Architecture and Suburbia: From English Villa to American Dream House, 1690-2000.
Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press, 2005.
Archer argues that “the ideal suburban house is rooted in notions of privacy, property, and selfhood that
are the foundation of identity in America.” This book helps to illustrate the chronological process housing
underwent to arrive where it has today. Archer defines the current “dream house ideal and the suburban
landscape.”
Architects’ Small House Service Bureau of the United States. Your Future Home: Architect-Designed
Houses of the 1920s. Washington, D.C.: American Institute of Architects Press, 1992.
The Architect’s Small House Service Bureau of the United States composed this book of small house de-
signs and plans of the 1920s. Seeing how small houses have long been considered as a housing option, as
well as understanding the benefits of living simply throughout this nation’s history has been crucial to this
thesis.
Ausick, Paul. “Home Foreclosures Still Double Rate before Housing Bust.” 24/7 Wall St. (2014):
<http://247wallst.com/housing/2014/04/03/home-foreclosures-still-double-rate-before-housing-
bust/>.
In this online newsletter article, Paul Ausick lists prominent and jolting statistics about the numbers and
percentages of foreclosures across the United States. This article, written on April 3, 2014, quotes CoreLog-
ic’s CEO as he compares the state of the housing industry today to that of 2008, during the recession.
BD&L. The Big Book of Small House Designs: 75 Award-Winning Plans for Your Dream House, All
1,250 Square Feet Or Less. New York, New York: Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers, 2004.
The Black Dog & Leventhal composed this book of mostly designs and plans – illustrating “dream houses”
of 1,250 square feet or smaller. This includes houses built across the world in many different types of cli-
mates and landscape settings.

123
Blauvelt, Andrew. “Some Assembly Required: Contemporary Prefabricated Houses.” Journal of
Architectural Education 60, No. 2 (2006): 68-69.
Blauvelt describes prefab houses as commonly considered to be “cheap, cookie cutter structures of last
resort.” In his book he refutes these misconceptions and advocates for houses designed by architects. Some
advantages to prefab houses that are discussed in the book are: time savings, money savings, reduction of
construction waste, and sturdier house structures. The constant factor of reinstating the importance of ar-
chitects in housing remains throughout the book.
Buttimer, Anne. “Social Space and the Planning of Residential Areas.” Environment and Behavior
September 1972, (1972): 279-318.
In 1972 Anne wrote an article about planning residential areas according to the “livability of residential
environments.” She references Jane Jacobs, the author of The Death and Life of Great American Cities and
discusses studies that suggest there may be strong relationships between actual architectural housing design
and social behavior.
Calthorpe, Peter. Urbanism in the Age of Climate Change. Washington DC, USA: Island Press, 2010.
Calthorpe has a long history of working with sustainable community design, regional planning, land use
policy, and transit-oriented design. This book is comprised of many hard facts and statistics presented with
very clear graphs and charts. Calthorpe bluntly presents this information and combines new energy source
alternatives into national growth scenarios for forty years from then (2050). He shows us the possible (and
positive) impacts of living with these energy-saving design strategies.
“Coil, Tokyo, Japan: Akihisa Hirata Architecture Office.” Japan Architect No. 88 (2013): 104-105.
The Japan Architect No. 88 magazine has a collection of small houses that are useful for the study of poetic
spaces. The Coil House was designed by Akihisa Hirata Architecture Office and is located in Tokyo, Japan.
Plans and photographs and a brief description are included.

124
Crookston, Martin. Garden Suburbs of Tomorrow?: A New Future for the Cottage Estates. Hoboken:
Taylor and Francis, 2013.
This book allows for an understanding of housing policies, city planning, and suburban homes in another
country (Great Britain), rather than the United States. Crookston describes how, in the twentieth century,
the UK planning agenda was focused on garden suburbs with estate homes that housed working-class fami-
lies. However, council housing, as he labels it, is changing and alternative solutions must be discovered.
“Daylight House, Kanagawa, Japan: Takeshi Hosaka Architects.” Japan Architect No. 88 (2013): 102-
103.
spaces. The Daylight House was designed by Takeshi Hosaka Architects and is located in Kanagawa, Japan.
Del Valle, Cristina. Compact Houses, edited by Asensio, Nacho. New York, New York: Universe
Publishing, 2005.
Compact Houses offers beautiful photos of practical and innovative small houses around the world.
However, it acts more as a survey than as an informational book. Del Valle compiled international homes
that are simple, environmentally sensitive, and yet fundamentally beautiful. Provided here are profiles of
the homes and history on any case-specific design challenges and their solutions.
Gorgolewski, Mark, June Komisar, and Joe Nasr. Carrot City: Creating Places for Urban Agriculture,
edited by Lawrence, Stacee Gravelle. NYC: Monacelli Press, 2011.
Carrot City is a compilation of different international sites that have taken advantage of their unique con-
ditions to create centers of urban agriculture. This ranges from simple greenhouses, community and rooftop
gardens, to livestock shelters and hydroponic systems. One constant factor throughout each profile is the
sense of community that comes from working together on each site.

125
Group, Harold E. Small Houses of the Forties: With Illustrations and Floor Plans. Mineola, N.Y.:
Dover Publications, 2007, 1946.
Harold E. Group composed this book of small house designs and plans of the 1940s. Understanding the
benefits of living simply (and small) throughout different periods of this nation’s history has been crucial to
this thesis. This book covers specific topics such as economy in plumbing, heating systems, prices, reasons
why to purchase a house, distribution of construction costs, and many more.
Heben, Andrew. Tent City Urbanism. Eugene, Oregon: The Village Collaborative, 2014.
Andrew Heben began writing Tent City Urbanism as a thesis and completed the book after his educational
career had properly ended. This book presents the importance of communities of small houses as a bridge
from homelessness to “home ownership.” Heben covers legal policies that prohibit unhoused individuals to
congregate together on state-owned land. Heben displays hope as he profiles certain sanctioned camps that
are no longer bothered by police and state officials.
Heidegger, Martin. Building, Dwelling, Thinking. Translated by Hofstadter, Albert. Vol. Poetry,
Language, Thought. New York, New York: Harper Colophon Books, 1971.
Martin Heidegger clearly advocates for the connection between building and dwelling. He argues that our
modern world has relinquished the relations between these two actions, and building is no longer perceived
as crucial to the state of our existence.
Hildner, Claudia. Small Houses : Contemporary Japanese Dwellings. Basel, CHE: Birkhäuser, 2012.
This book is a well-balanced composition of house profiles and text explaining the roots of Japanese dwell-
ings, privacy and publicness, a culture shaped by wood, steps and layers, space without space, dealing with
the existing fabric, beauty and ephemerality, and the garden as part of the architecture. These elements are
all very important to the Japanese culture when designing their homes.

126
“House in Rokko, Hyogo, Japan: Yo Shimada.” Japan Architect No. 88 (2013): 100-101.
spaces. The House in Rokko was designed by Yo Shimada and is located in Hyogo, Japan. Plans and photo-
graphs and a brief description are included.
Jacobs, Jane. The Death and Life of Great American Cities. New York City, NY: Modern Library,
1993.
Jane Jacobs is considered a matriarchal figure in topic of urban studies. She was also an activist in pushing
for urban renewal to respect the needs of city residents. This book is chock full of information on the histo-
ry of urban planning, methods of city planning, diversity, visual order, certain facilities, population instabil-
ity, city life cycles, and much more. The authors of several of the listed sources here reference Jane Jacobs’
influential book.
MacBurnie, Ian. “The Periphery and the American Dream.” Journal of Architectural Education 48,
No. 3 (1995): 134-143.
In this article, MacBurnie discusses the differences between an urb, suburb, exurb, and suburban metropo-
lis. He describes the shift of the “periphery” from the outskirts of the city toward the center, and out again.
He argues that, in the American city, the periphery can be considered as a state of mind.
Mitchell, Ryan. Tiny House Living, edited by Owen, Amy, Jacqueline Musser. Cincinnati, Ohio:
Betterway Home Books, 2014.
Tiny House Living seems to be a motivational book that outlines the benefits and struggles to joining the
Tiny House Movement and living in a house under 100 square feet (usually built on a flatbed trailer). After
each section’s topic is discussed, there are case studies displaying individuals, couples, and families that have
already made the jump into simplifying their lifestyles and homes.

127
Nelessen, Anton Clarence. Visions for a New American Dream: Process, Principles, and an
Ordinance to Plan and Design Small Communities. Second Edition ed. Chicago, IL: The
American Planning Association, 1994.
Nelessen describes the process of designing small communities with the intentions of improving the concept
of the American Dream. There is a full analysis of the suburbs in the past, how to use that information for
future communities, and how to redevelop. The most valuable information to this thesis is Chapter Seven:
Designing a Small Community Using the Ten Design Principles- Human Scale, Ecological Responsibility,
Pedestrianism, Open Spaces, Core, Streetscapes, Variation, Mixed and Multiple Uses, Design Vocabulary,
and Maintenance.
Oliver, Paul. Dwellings. New York, New York: Phaidon Press Limited, 2003.
This book is a compilation of many different types of houses across the world. It contains photos, drawings,
and comparisons of unique building types and uses. Oliver explains the needs of the occupants in relation
to the types of dwellings in which they reside. It is an overall survey of housing types and their purposes,
decorations, uses, and ways they deal with the particular regional climate.
Pearson, David. The House that Jack Built: Freewheeling Homes. White River Junction, Vermont:
Chelsea Green Publishing Company, 2002.
David Pearson displays a collection of unique, customized homes that are mobile; they were either built
on flatbed trailers or were created from previous ambulances, trucks, buses, old rail wagons and airstream
trailers. There are stories from those who live in these homes, and then Pearson goes on to explain how the
reader can go about making his or her own customized home on wheels.
Pera, Lee and Jay Austin. Boneyard Studios. Washington, D.C.: 2012. <http://www.boneyardstudios.com>.
This is a website that showcases the fundamental ideas of Boneyard Studios, one of the case studies outlined
in this thesis project. It has ideas for multi-functional furniture and spaces, ideas for growing vegetables
and fruits and preserving them, and a blog that keeps track of all the events they host at Boneyard Studios.

128
Pople, Nicolas. Small Houses: Contemporary Residential Architecture. New York, New York: Universe
Publishing, 2003.
Nicolas Pople makes the claim that “small houses are no longer synonymous with cheap houses and lack
of privilege.” This book showcases thirty-seven homes that have been designed between 75-1600 square feet,
each with a unique design approach. What makes this book different than most of the literature containing
case studies is that Pople focuses on houses designed by well-known architects such as Toyo Ito, Herzog and
de Meuron, Simon Ungers, Enric Miralles, LOT/EK, and Kazuyo Sejima.
Salomon, Shay. Little House on a Small Planet: Simple Homes, Cozy Retreats, and Energy Efficient
Possibilities. Guilford, Connecticut: Lyons Press, 2006.
With three parts titled Reduce, Rethink, Relax, Salomon documents actual people in their home setting of
their cozy, energy efficient, minimalized house. Salomon asks the question, “what fills a home when the
excess is cut away, and how do we get there from here?” Included in the book are plenty of photographs,
plans, and tips on how to live simply and happily.
Schittich, Christian, Florian Musso, and Catherine Anderle-Neill. Building Simply. Basel,
Switzerland: Birkhauser, Publishers for Architecture, 2005.
Building Simply is a Birkhauser’s In Detail series book that focuses on how to build structures that are sim-
ple and pure in structure. The international examples that are shown in the book range from warehouses,
residential buildings, pavilions, and workshops, to simple wood bridges. The authors stress the methods that
can be used in order to do justice to the quality and nature of the materials being used.
“SHAREyaraicho, Tokyo, Japan: Satoko Shinohara + Ayano Uchimura / Spatial Design Studio.”
Japan Architect No. 88 (2013): 96-97.
spaces. The SHAREyaraicho house was designed by Satoko Shinohara + Ayano Uchimura / Spatial Design
Studio and is located in Tokyo, Japan. ¬-Plans and photographs and a brief description are included.

129
Snyder, Christina. “Redesigning the American Dream.” Master of Architecture, Wentworth Institute
of Technology, 2009.
In 2009, Wentworth Institute of Technology’s Master of Architecture student Christina Snyder developed a
thesis called “Redesigning the American Dream” that has many similar ideas as this thesis process. It was
used to understand the intended extent of this current project.
“Sugoroku Office, Gifu, Japan: Met Architects.” Japan Architect No. 88 (2013): 98-99.
spaces. The Sugoroku Office was designed by Met Architects and is located in Gifu, Japan. ¬¬Plans and
photographs and a brief description are included.
Sweeting, Adam. Reading Houses and Building Books: Andrew Jackson Downing and the
Architecture of Popular Antebellum Literature, 1835-1855. Hanover, New Hampshire:
University Press of New England, 1996.
Adam Sweeting wrote about Andrew Jackson Downing and his reputation as an architect, landscape design-
er, and author. It focuses on his fascination with the comprehensive study of literature, architecture, and
horticulture and advocates for “the widely held belief that efforts to reform the world began at home, that
beautiful and clean houses produced morally beautiful and spiritually clean people.”
Tamborini, Susanne. Living in a Small Space: Experimental Projects from Four Continents.
Summers, London: Edition Axel Menges, 1999.
“Architects in Europe, the Far East, the U.S., and Australia illustrate that a positive sense of space is more
dependent on light and sun, air and warmth than on a defined minimum number of square feet.” This
thesis exploration benefits form the exposure to international views on living in small spaces and the other
qualities that can make those spaces enjoyable and comfortable.

130
TINY: A Story about Living Small. Film. Directed by Mueller, Merete and Christopher Smith. 2013.
This is a film that documents a young couple as they build, with limited time and funds, a tiny house on
a trailer. It is interesting to see the transition of Merete’s outlook on the tiny house move from skeptical to
inspired throughout the film. Between shots of the house being built, short interviews were conducted with
other individuals, couples, and families that had been living in tiny houses. One of them is Dee Williams
who is considered one of the founding members of the Tiny House Movement in the United States.
Trulove, James Grayson. 25 Houses Under 2500 Square Feet. New York, New York: HarperCollins
Publishers, 2012.
Trulove showcases twenty-five houses that effectively utilize their carefully designed spaces. Included are
photographs, plans, drawings, and information about the architects who designed each home. Some of them
include Obie G. Bowman, Mack Scogin Merrill Elam Architects, Wheeler Kearns, Turner Brooks & Russel
Katz, Stan Allen, PUBLIC, Olsin Sundberg Kundig Allen Architects, Lorcan O’Herlihy, Dry Design, Fred-
erick Philips, and many more.
“Tsuchihashi House, Tokyo, Japan: Kazuyo Sejima & Associates.” Japan Architect No. 88 (2013): 106-109.
spaces. The Tsuchihashi House was designed by Kazuyo Sejima & Associates and is located in Tokyo, Japan.
Whitaker, Craig. Architecture and the American Dream. 1st ed. New York City, NY: Clarkson N.
Potter, 1996.
Craig Whitaker analyzes the way Americans think, live, and refuse to acknowledge certain aspects of our
housing industry. There are problems regarding public display versus privacy and how most people have a
convinced notion that they need to be viewed as equal to those within in their proximity. Whitaker asserts
that “the built environment is shaped largely by cultural values” and he “dissects American architecture by
revealing its archetypes and analyzing their origins in the national psyche.” This is a very thought-provoking
book.

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