Micro-homes are a solution for adding housing to existing neighbourhoods to sustain thriving communities. Given the high cost of renting in Vancouver and low interest rates, the micro-home is a housing form worth considering.
With a smaller footprint and lower purchasing price, micro-homes are suitable for first-time buyers, young families wanting to get into the market, and downsizers, too, looking to stay in their established neighbourhoods.
Speaking with HAVAN members Abstract Homes and Renovations, creating space capable of adapting to a variety of family needs is key to maximizing small-living space.
The Ovation Award home Bright Investment offers a centrally located efficient kitchen design with efficient work triangle. The island serves many purposes, with a workstation for multiple cooks, doubling as an easy breakfast/lunch bar, or just a great place to hang out when entertaining friends.
In addition to efficient design, maximizing space with cleverly designed ‘flex-rooms’ is an award-winning solution and key to expanding livable areas in small spaces.
Working with Smallworks Studios/Laneway housing Inc., a flex space was created in what appears to be part of the kitchen in the Bright Investment micro-home. The kitchen space is interchangeable as a dining area, den or in-home office. Featuring a three-panel, frosted-glass sliding-door, privacy is possible when desired, and also helps to further define the space.
The popularity of one-level living with the master on the main is a magnet for mobility-challenged and aging-in-place homeowners, and provides for an easy-to-care-for lifestyle.
One-level living is enhanced with a vaulted ceiling, skylights and triangle upper and transom windows in bedrooms to expand the visual space. Eight-foot sliders on either side of the home bolster a sense of spaciousness. The front patio creates seamless indoor/outdoor living, further extending livable space.
The modern craftsman style exterior blends seamlessly into the established Vancouver neighbourhood, with the door facing the street, not the lane. Complete with white picketed fence, this micro-laneway-home offers smart solutions to Vancouver’s growing need for alternative housing options.
To view other award-winning projects and connect with award-winning builders, visit havan.ca
