Posted on 12/31/2006 3:10:03 PM PST by Lorianne
Portland, Seattle, and Vancouver are creating strategies to encourage the development of modest, more affordable houses ___ In these three Pacific Northwest cities, the progressive power of urban planning is taken very seriously, and concepts like livability and sustainability dominate the local civic culture to such an extent that to visit all three in rapid succession, as I did in October, is to drop in on another country. It’s not the United States or Canada, but a more highly evolved combination of the two.
In each city I was impressed by major developments, dramatic projects that promised to refresh the urban landscape in conspicuous ways.
It was in Seattle, however, where I saw the best small house. Dave Sarti, who co-taught a design-build studio at the University of Washington last year, had constructed an 800-square-foot house with a 160-square-foot double-height attached workshop. It’s a sweet fire-engine-red box planted in the backyard of a Central District home. I walked down the grassy driveway past an unremarkable blue traditional home and was surprised to see this Bauhaus cube where another yard might have a swing set.
(Excerpt) Read more at businessweek.com ...
I am fully in compliance !!!!! :o) (no alternatives visible)
A family up here accidently gassed themselves a few years back by this means. Nice modern house, too. The fire danger of a vehicle used to be much greater but still a stand alone garage would be better just in case.
I rather have my money tied up in the "land" (location, location, location) not the structure.
Me either...since leaving the 1990 burbs and going to what was the burbs in 1950...I travel against traffic going to and from work...I LOVE IT!
A few years ago I watched a 3500 SF house on a hill in San Ramon burn to the ground in less than 40 minutes due to a garage fire initially caused by a faulty horn relay in the brand new Caddillac with full tank parked therein.
Well, the wide door on the garage would make moving large items such as picnic tables in case of rain during the garden party relatively easy since it won't be needed for car access. A house with a really big door in addition to the little door for pedestrian traffic would be a more utilitarian house.
They used to be called starter homes.
Yep...we had a large home....the master bedroom was so huge we were always freezing in winter. And, the "beautiful" tiled master bath was like an ice chest. NEVER again. In a condo now, but will likely build a small house on land some years down the road.
Nonsense, we haven't had a major eruption since 1980, and a major earthquake in a couple of years.
Actually, a $180,000 house is unheard of around here anymore. A 50 year old 2 bedroom 1 bath can go for almost $300,000.
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