Studio37, a modern prefab cottage | Small Modern Living

Studio37, a modern prefab cottage designed to be wheelchair accessible. It has one bedroom in 400 sq ft. | www.facebook.com/SmallHouseBliss

More and more cities are allowing small houses to be built in the backyards of existing houses. Whether called accessory dwelling units, granny flats or garden cottages, they increase urban density without changing the character of established neighborhoods. Victoria, Canada, adopted a “garden suite policy” a couple of years ago, and surrounding municipalities have also passed similar bylaws. As a retirement destination and a university town, Victoria has two groups in particular that can benefit. The elderly can stay in their own homes longer with the support of a caregiver who has private living space in the backyard, and university students benefit from an increase in the stock of affordable rental housing.

While these policies were being debated, Small Modern Living designed a small prototype house, dubbed studio37, to promote the idea. Having an actual full-sized version to experience allowed politicians and citizens to see just how livable a small home can be.

Studio37 is a modern one bedroom home in just 400 ft2 (37 m2), small enough that it can be prefabbed and delivered to its site as a single module. It has a shed roof and is clad in an attractive combination of stained tongue-and-groove cedar and painted HardiePanel. The entrance is at one end, under a roof supported by a cantilevered beam.

Studio37, a modern prefab cottage designed to be wheelchair accessible. It has one bedroom in 400 sq ft. | www.facebook.com/SmallHouseBliss

Inside the front door is a combined living/dining room with vaulted ceiling and floor-to-ceiling windows on two sides. The bedroom is at the opposite end of the house and the kitchen is in between. The kitchen does double duty as the hallway from living area to bedroom, eliminating dedicated circulation space. The bedroom comes equipped with a Murphy wall bed with a drop-down table hinged to the bottom side, converting the room into a home office during the day. The bathroom likewise doubles as the laundry room with a stacked washer and dryer. Barn-style sliding doors for the bedroom and a pocket door for the bathroom save floor space.

Studio37, a modern prefab cottage designed to be wheelchair accessible. It has one bedroom in 400 sq ft. | www.facebook.com/SmallHouseBliss

Many small house plans have the bathroom opening directly off the main living area, an arrangement that is far from ideal and could make guests very uncomfortable. In studio37, the bathroom instead opens off the bedroom. That is a compromise that may cause a bit of an invasion of the resident’s privacy when guests use it, but it seems far better than the alternative and the resident can always tidy up the bedroom when guests are expected.

As you look through the photos, you’ll notice how spacious the bathroom is. That’s because it was designed with wheelchair users in mind. In fact the whole unit is designed to be wheelchair accessible, with wide doorways and open kneespace under the kitchen sink.

Plans for the Studio37 can be purchased through the Small Modern Living website. The plans are designed to meet the requirements of the B.C. Building Code, and may need to be checked for compliance with your local building code.

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floor plan

Photographs courtesy of Small Modern Living.

Text copyright 2013 SmallHouseBliss. All Rights Reserved.

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Category : 1 bedroom, accessible design, Accessory Dwelling Units (ADU), backyard cottages, modern design, Single-Level Living, Small Energy Efficient Houses, Small Modern and Minimalist Houses, Small Prefab and Modular Houses
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