Nearly two-thirds of the households in America have only one or two inhabitants, yet the average new home has four bedrooms and is 25 per cent larger than homes built for families 25 years ago. Does that sound peculiar to you? It did to Ross Chapin, too, founder of the Cottage Company and the architect responsible for the charming Third Street Cottages
(figure A). "My vision for the Third Street Cottages came from looking at what's happening in America, how as families get smaller, houses get larger," Chapin says. He recognized a need for high-quality smaller homes that didn't sacrifice the amenities that modern subdivisions offer. "My personal inclination was to see what could be done to build smaller, to build toward community."
A community is exactly what the Cottage Company has created with its circle of eight colorful homes. Owners name their cottages, creating a village surrounding the common courtyard area (figure B) with a shared tool shed, workshop (figure C) and rooftop terrace for group gatherings. Mailbox kiosks and sidewalks throughout the property create natural places for chance meetings among neighbors, and covered porches and a community garden (figure D) encourage homeowners to come outside and mingle.
Charm and Character
Chapin gave equal time to the details that personalize space and turn a house into a home that can really be lived in. "We've focused on the details--the nooks, the crannies--to bring in originality. Smaller can be better. It can be richer," Chapin says.
Each cottage has a private garden complete with split-cedar fence and swinging gate (figure E), and windows are carefully positioned to ensure privacy among closely situated homes. Other special features include the following:
- board-and-batten ceilings and wall paneling (figure F)
- freestanding butcher-block islands in kitchens (figure G)
- master bedrooms with garden access
- covered front porches with flower boxes (figure H)
- nine-foot and cathedral ceilings, large windows and skylights that fill rooms with light and create a feeling of spaciousness (figure I)
- ample storage with walk-in closets, built-in shelves and an attic
- no wasted space, with built-in nooks, alcoves and deep windowsills (figure J)
- spacious full-height lofts accessed by a clever ship's ladder staircase (figure K)
- a unique floor plan that fits living and dining rooms, kitchen, a bedroom and spacious bath (figure L) on one level
Earth-Friendly Features
Living on Washington's beautiful Whidbey Island, an area experiencing tremendous growth, Chapin recognized the effects of human encroachment on the earth. This awareness influenced his vision for simpler homes in smarter communities using less land. "Resources are dwindling, yet we use more resources to live," Chapin says.
In addition to doubling the land efficiency by arranging eight detached single -family homes on property previously zoned for only four, Chapin designed these homes with innovative, earth-friendly ideas:
- no old-growth wood used (old-growth trees grow in endangered forests; only 20 percent of the earth's old-growth forests remain)
- second-growth hemlock trim (from managed forests with reforestation systems)
- fiber cement siding (an alternative to using wood)
- in-floor heating (more efficient than other heating systems)
- re-claimed (recycled from prior uses) whitewashed spruce paneling
- floors made of custom-finished concrete and stained Medite (formaldehyde-free medium-density fiberboard produced from sustainable supplies of softwoods from managed forests)
The Homeowners
With all these thoughtful details and the opportunity to live in a community that's both earth-friendly and just plain friendly, it's no surprise that the Cottage Company's developments sell out quickly. Cottage owners enjoy the character common in older homes but "with the peace of mind that comes with modern construction and [using] environmentally sensitive materials."
Marty Fernandez says there aren't many small homes being built today, so there aren't that many choices. In a day of large homes and typical subdivisions, he feels fortunate to have found "a small home that's new with today's ways of being efficient."
Efficient homes foster efficient lifestyles, and Peggy Moe appreciates the free time living in a smaller home gives back to her. "It doesn't take much time to clean this house!" Moe says. "It's just a simpler way of life." Fernandez agrees, adding that cottage living is just responsible living.
But at only 975 square feet per home, Chapin admits building only what you need isn't for everyone. "It's for people who want a balance between community and privacy, who want a sense of neighborhood," he says. And to a growing number of homeowners, that's everything you need.
Resources cottage homes
The Cottage Company, LLC
PO Box 230
Langley, WA 98260
Phone: 360-221-1707
Fax: 360-221-8603
URL:
www.cottagecompany.com
Guests Ross Chapin
Architect and Co-developer
The Cottage Company, LLC
PO Box 230
Langley, WA 98260
Phone: 360-221-2373
Fax: 360-221-8603
Email:
rchapin@whidbey.com
URL:
www.rosschapin.com
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