20K House Design Critique

I appreicate the concept here, I really do. $20K for a house meets one social political constraint, poverty. To a great degree, folks living in poverty also have physical and cognitive disabilities. A loft is not only inaccessible for people who use wheelchairs, it's also UNVISITABLE... so not only does this type of design discriminate against people in their ability to live in this house, it also makes it impossible for people with disabilities to visit there too.

So you can't address all the social issues with a building design, I know, I know. And perhaps you don't want to. But please do understand poverty in many cases = disability. Maybe it would be a handy research project within your team to look at that. In Minnesota there is a "Commission to End Poverty by 2020". Statistics are available which tell who is 'poor'...

Also, in a loft setting, please think of emergencies when putting the finishing touches on your design. In the case of fire, how does the design of this home beat nature that fire/heat rises? (I admit, maybe a cool structure during a flood). Are the mechanical elements far enough away from the living area so that off gases aren't an issue?

Are homes this small meeting building code?

In the end, go ahead and build a loft house, it's hip, it's young, it's meeting some needs. But PLEASE, also build homes that serve all the people with the dignity you mention as a goal. And as my last thought, disabilities are not just wheelchairs, canes and deafness ~ but people who have emotional and/or cognitive disabilities. Maybe afraid of heights to the point of not being able to climb stairs, having compulsive behaviors that require space on a horizontal plane to walk a pattern, blindness... carrying oxygen at all time... Disability is among us, it is 'us'.

Thanks for featuring the story, Krista.

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This is a very worthy project. With the housing market in Alabama, the job market in Alabama, there are a LOT of people that would love to have a $20,000 home.