Katrina Cottages: Tiny cottage gains popularity
October 7, 2007
The Katrina Cottage, a permanent 308 square foot cottage engineered to withstand at least 140 mph winds, was first meant as an attractive alternative to the FEMA trailer being offered to Gulf Coast residents left homeless in the aftermath of hurricane Katrina.
First shown at the 2006 International Builders Show, Katrina Cottage 1, the charming cottage designed by Marianne Cusato of Cusato Cottages, has gone on to win the Cooper-Hewitt People’s Design Award and capture the attention of the American public interested in affordable housing and the simple life.
During the National Design Awards Gala in New York City, Issac Mizrahi presented the award to Marianne Cusato for her Katrina Cottage. Since the design of the Katrina Cottage, a series of cottages have been designed including the tiny bunkroom cottage, several one bedroom cottages and two bedroom cottages.
Lowe’s, a national hardware and building-supply company, will begin selling the plans and materials for the four cottages in stores in the Gulf Coast region this month. The two-bedroom, 544-square-foot model and the three-bedroom, 936-square-foot house will cost $45 to $55 per square foot to build. This translates into a cost between $27,200 to $46,800. The estimate does not include the cost of the foundation, heating and cooling, or labor. The Cusato Cottages company is looking to take the cottages nationwide.
Tiny homes are gaining popularity for different reasons. There is a general trend to downsizing in order to simplify life. For the environmentally-minded, smaller homes conserve the earth’s resources, as it takes, for example, a lot less to heat a smaller space. For the younger generation just starting out, it may be an affordable opportunity to own a home. For those who would like to keep an elderly parent close by but also provide them with a sense of independence, a tiny cottage home can often be erected on the same property as the main home. To learn more about these cute cottage homes, visit Cusato Cottages.
