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Brutally Honest Rick posted about this a few days ago, and I was so fascinated with this innovative use of a 320 square foot shipping container/home I sent it out to folks on my mail list. It garnered quite a bit of interest, including this comment from my friend Jo Anne who has a keen interest in designing for small homes:
This concept has been around for over a decade in the modular industry, and the “Sea-Tainers” in Haiti survived the earthquake with very little damage. As far as providing a safe and comfortable alternative to housing, especially after natural disasters, this type of dwelling is the best bet. There are actually modular companies in the USA that supply these dwellings, and in some cases, not always economical for the faint in the pocketbook.
My personal interest, and having owned (with Tom) a contracting company, I have always been interested in small dwellings under 1000 sq.ft. of living space as alternative housing for the budget conscious market. It is amazing how much you can do with such little floor space, and it takes a lot more ingenuity to create a livable space in a small footprint when keeping an eye on efficiency. Today, there are a lot of people looking for more affordable housing without losing amenities, and so “Park Homes, RV’s, and even Mobile Homes” are very popular.
Check out this link with Athens Park Homes, and view the interior photos of some of the dwellings that are under 500 sq.ft.
After owning and managing a mobile home & RV park for twelve years, I have found that there are a lot of people that prefer smaller dwellings opposed to the larger home due to a variety of reasons: budget constraints, convenience, mobility, and minimal maintenance and upkeep. It is also interesting to note that more divorced middle-aged men prefer this type of housing than women.
I understand your point in your newsletter, however, having worked in the industry, I think the concept is a great alternative to immediate housing than what people in Haiti are still dealing with a year later living in a tent city. The governments could have easily had Sea-Tainer housing mass produced and shipped over to Haiti for immediate housing than people suffering, as they have all year, and the government probably would have saved money in the process in the rebuilding of Haiti…but as we know, Government = Ignorant!
Only in America do we have the option to live in dwellings of our choosing without our government telling us how and where we will be living…at least for now, we as Americans are still individuals, free thinkers, and independent! Liberals can’t stand this concept. If you need any more information on small dwellings, let me know, I have an interesting collection of small house plans, books, and websites.
As the economy continues to contract, many of us might have to consider “living large”…
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