Solo Houses

This is a series of 9 tiny homes, designed for one person., accommodating an occasional up to three visitors.

Principles

Tightness/Clarity

Each house contains only enough space for one person, to sleep and eat, work and relax, bathe and dress. The spaces for each of these activities will be clearly marked in their intention and function, just as a chair is for sitting.

The Cozy Nook Effect

These houses are for one person, living alone; the primary relationship will be between the inhabitant and the physical presence of the building. The houses will all attempt variations on the spatial experience of being “next to” something that has a clear and separate identity, like a side chapel in a cathedral, or a cozy reading nook in a large living room.

Pattern and Void 

The most important aesthetic development of our generation is the juxtaposition of small-scale, detailed pattern and large scale expression of mass, or blankness. The houses will all make clear and effective use of this aesthetic move.

Missing Middle

A widely-recognized and systemic problem with housing in this country — and Austin, in particular — is the lack of options for mid-size dwellings. There is a general lack of housing stock that falls in between a one-window condo and a three-bedroom, single-family house. Our built environment was informed by and perpetuates the notion that a person moves straight from college-age roommate life into and marriage and child rearing. Zoning laws strongly encourage this trend, and property owners are economically incentivized to build maximums, always seeking the highest and best use. This study seeks to add to this conversation. 

Personal Style

People are always asking me, if I was going to design a house for myself, what would it look like. What style do you prefer to design in. What are your ideas. These are the houses I would build for myself.