So what is The Right Cottage going to be like? Well, first of all, the operative words in designing this space are “small”, “affordable” and “green”. It’s not meant to be a luxury suite for the rich and famous. The idea is to create a sustainable, highly functional, compact space with a unique design aesthetic that doesn’t break my bank account.
Let’s start with the floor plan and space requirements. It’s very simple; a sleeping area, gathering area, closet and bathroom is all that’s needed. Of course, if the city would allow for it, a small kitchen would be extremely useful – although I don’t see that happening at this point. So, how many square feet does one need for this set-up? Slightly more than 300 seems to be the magic number. We’re still tweaking the layout, so I’ll let you know what the final number turns out to be.
Yes, this is most assuredly a “small” space. But remember: small is green. The less resources it takes to build, heat/cool and maintain your living space, the greener it is. And in reality, for the use I have in mind, this is all the square footage required.
– Connie Allegra, ASID
TravelBug Architecture & Design 