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Sidekick Model # 22, or Backyard Pavilion 2 is placed above a two-car garage and shop on the first floor. The stair to the upstairs living space is located outside and leads to the large veranda placed to capture distant views. This raised house form comes directly from the low country Tidewater homes that stood on stilts to keep them above the frequent floodwaters. Sidekick will add this home to our Library when the construction drawings are finished.

The architectural Style of Costal Carolina is as distinct as the Southwestern Pueblo style of Santa Fe, New Mexico or The Spanish Colonial Revival style preserved in Santa Barbara, California. They are all three eclectic assemblages of details, materials, color, and roof shapes. Formed by tidewater influences as well as other environmental factors, The Costal Carolina Style grew out of the revival of classic architectural styles such as Victorian, Colonial, and Greek Revival, all popular in the 19^th century.

“THE FIRST GRANNY COTTAGE IN VILLA PARK” 
is how Councilman Paul Lopez characterized the new Sidekick Home being built by Mark Druva of Druva Redevelopment. The Villa Park neighborhood in west Denver will soon be served by the west line of the Fast Tracks light Rail system and this new backyard cottage is just 1 block from a newly completed station on the light rail. Residents will be able to travel downtown and several colleges within minutes. This ADU (accessory Dwelling Unit) is the type of new affordable home envisioned by the drafters of the new Denver Zoning Ordinance. It is a 576 square foot one story one bedroom home accessory to an existing two bedroom home. The pair of homes will be listed to sell together.

We're hoping to raise the awareness in Denver homeowners of an opportunity they may have to build their own ADU for their own family or to rent to bolster family income.

I find the question of cost to be the hardest to answer. When cost estimates, in widely separated regions, vary greatly for the same small house I know that the difference is due to something more than regional influences. Quality, ease of access, local fees for building and utilities, and intangibles such as distance to the job site and perceived expectations all play a role.

National figures for homebuilding, as published by the “RS Means Company”, (adjusted) recognize location and quality, as modifying influences on their base square foot costs. Base costs do not include: basements, garages, utility extensions, Custom design fees, or fees for permits and impacts. We have used their highest quality level for the following example, as our finish materials include granite countertops, wood base and trim and the best workmanship available. Invisible quality features include: High efficiency furnaces, tankless water heaters, and sprayed-in foam insulation in walls, roofs, and crawl spaces.

Example:

A 600 square foot/ one-story house with a small porch

National highest quality base cost per RS Means = $210.00 per sq. ft. (adj. for small size)

Adjusted cost for the following cities:

Sacramento, CA----- $210 X 1.12 (factor for location)= $235.00 per square foot

Grand Junction, CO- $210 X .91 (factor for location)= $189.00 per square foot

Austin, Texas-------- $210 X .78 (factor for location) = $165.00 Per square foot

Question?

So why did my costs come in so much higher than these numbers? Let’s add it up: first there are local building and utility fees that can add $10,000.00 to $30,000.00 to the total cost of a home. Custom design services may add another $5,000.00 and a basement and a garage may add another $30,000.00. These things could total $50,000.00 or $83.00 per square foot for our small 600 sq. ft house (by the way this only adds $26.00 per sq ft to a median sized 2300 sq. ft house). Then there are the intangibles: a difficult to reach building site will require more hand work for everything from bringing in materials to removing excess earth from excavations, and the distance for a builder to travel will also have an impact.

Summary:

The house total costs with and without the extras for the above cities are as follows:

Sacramento------$141,000.00 up to $191,000.00

Grand Junction--$114,000.00 up to $164,000.00

Austin-------------- $99,000.00 up to $149,000.00

Figures are rounded to the nearest $1,000.00

We've been experimenting with new materials on our Little Homes. The tension fabric roofs aren't new but seldom if ever used for residential applications. For those of us who live in Denver Colorado and those who use the Denver International Airport terminal, we have experienced what a tension fabric roof can do for the indoor environment. ,A tent-like roof on a small house can distribute light to the interior with a natural outdoor-like quality. Next summer we hope to be able to offer a fabric roof on some of our houses in limited cities.

Seaside Florida, a unique New Town on the Gulf Coast of the Florida panhandle, has matured since its inception 30 years ago. Seaside was a New Urbanism concept community design that you can read about on the community website. I'm most interested today in the large number of Accessory Dwelling Units that have been built. They are used as vacation cottages and marketed through their website. On the whole the cottages are above garages and very attractive though varied within the community style. Take a look at some of them here.

Tiny Houses are defined by the Tiny House Community as, “beautifully designed and well crafted dwellings of 400 square feet or less.”

(The following notes are a compilation of two surveys, one of those involved in the business of small houses and the other of consumers) The Tiny House Community conducted both surveys. http://tinyhousecommunity.com/

Tiny House Fair Survey:

When asked which workshops or talks people would like to attend, solar power options, along with toilet choices were at the top.

When asked which speakers they would like to hear, the results were unranked with 17 people listed.

The ranking on which products people would buy at a tiny house fair put plans and completed houses at the top of a short list.

Community Survey:

There were 616 total responses to the community survey with 53 owners of tiny houses and 563 hoping to have a tiny house.

Primary reasons for interest in Tiny Houses were: low cost, social aspects, retirement, green values, or parts of each.

Most people would like to own their Tiny House but many would rent.

When asked about utility hookups, assuming gas and diesel generators are not allowed, most wanted water, electricity, sewer, and Internet.

This is an informal survey. Please share your story. The questions that follow are only to help guide respondents. Use your own words.

Residents of an ADU: How big is your Accessory Dwelling Unit? What is the best part of living in an ADU? What do you miss? What have you learned that may help others?

City Planners and Community Leaders: Some cities have been disappointed in the performance of their ADU regulations. What's your experience? Did you have one primary goal? Was this goal shared? What has prevented achieving your goal? (or what has made it work?) I will release the results of my survey here and on other sites.

Neighbors of homes with ADUs: Has the ADU next door or down the street been a problem for you or your family? Would you welcome more ADUs? Have you considered adding one on your lot?

Please let us know your experiences by e-mailing mike@kephartliving.com or calling 303-777-6383. We will share all results with everyone.