Tiny Victories 2.0- 260sf dwelling

This home is located in the 2nd phase of the Community First Village outside of Austin, TX. It is a community of formerly homeless individuals, supportive staff, and volunteers. The village consists of tiny homes for rent with on-site employment, supportive social services, and numerous community events. A competition was organized where 5 teams of local architects and contractors were selected to design and build a home for a community member. Prior to any design work, the design teams spent a weekend in the community to meet their client. Site evaluation included the presentation of an extensive post occupancy evaluation of the first phase of the community, conducted by University of Texas architecture students and on-site designers. Using the qualitative and quantitative information from phase 1, the design teams and their clients participated in a charette to better understand their concept of what a home needs to be for someone who has experienced chronic homelessness and what an individual home can be within the larger community.

The village has shared kitchens and restrooms and extensive social gatherings, so our client Shelia expressed the need for privacy. Shelia wanted a space to foster creativity and introspection within the active community. She wanted to have ready access to the objects that detailed and reinforced the memory of her past and current self. However, she still wanted to have the ability to bring people into her home without feeling like she was inviting them into her bedroom.

We created separate living and sleeping areas by offsetting the plan elements, hoping to foster a greater sense of a privacy with multiple rooms. A small front porch and entry door sits at one corner, while a private screened porch nestles in the opposite corner. Operable windows provide plenty of natural light and cross-ventilation. The largest wall utilizes an exposed framing wall with display shelving within the framing cavity. Upon entering the home, one is presented with the display wall full of personal art and items that help reinforce a sense of identity for the resident. The space simultaneously provides privacy while allowing for a proud display and cultivation of the self.

This home will be built a total of 5 times within the village, so the house is designed to work well in two different solar orientations and function with two different entry doors. Exterior materials of stucco and corrugated metal siding were chosen for durability and low maintenance requirements and to fit into the $20,000 materials budget.