An exterior view of a Minim House. Photo / Linda Davidson
An exterior view of a Minim House. Photo / Linda Davidson
The idea started on an empty alley lot in Northeast Washington's little-known Stronghold neighbourhood. Brian Levy wanted to show those around him the benefits of minimal and environmentally friendly living.
So in 2012, he enlisted an architecture firm and builder to construct a 210-square-foot house on wheels - a particularly chic structure with stainless-steel kitchen counter tops and maple floors. It garnered media attention - a couple of spreads in glossy design magazines - and some quibbles from neighbours who had grown accustomed to parking on the empty lot.
It also raised questions over whether the city's zoning laws even permitted Levy to use the lot for his tiny-house experiment. Yes and no. He cannot use his micro home as a permanent residence.
But because Levy and other local urbanists lobbied the city to loosen its zoning restrictions, new laws that they say are friendlier to the tiny-house movement are slated to go into effect Tuesday.
These new zoning laws coincide with Levy's latest business venture: He and his business associates have partnered with a Pittsburgh-based manufacturer to build prefabricated versions of the house and deliver them to customers in the District of Columbia and elsewhere in the country.
"We're aiming to be the premier micro-house manufacturer in the country," Levy said. "We're a business, but we're also mission-driven. We're focused on helping people live more simply, more cheaply and more ecologically."
Micro houses - or tiny homes - are part of an architectural movement encouraging simple and sustainable living.
The movement has gained steam in recent years as urbanists and hobbyists alike pitch the structures as a cheap solution to the expensive housing crisis plaguing many fast-gentrifying cities. There's even a popular HGTV show based around the homes called "Tiny House Hunters."
But critics of the movement contend that it focuses on single adults and overlooks vulnerable segments of the population, such as families and children, who experience poverty - and are often on the losing end of urban housing shortages.
Left to right: Minim Built owners Brian Levy and Chris VanArsdale. Photo / Linda Davidson
When Levy built his tiny home - a glamorous trailer he dubbed the Minim House - he wanted to see what the response in the District would be. Designed by D.C.-based Foundry Architects, the house is "off-grid," meaning it requires no outside electrical outlets or plumbing for water, sewage, electricity or Internet.
He created a non profit called Micro Showcase, where individuals and classrooms can schedule tours.
For a while, Levy experimented with creating a community of tiny houses on the lot called Boneyard Studios, which disbanded amid controversy in 2014. There was a rift between Levy and the two other micro-home owners on the lot, which included questions over the sometimes smelly disposal of sewage, since the homes are not connected to sewage treatment.
The lot now includes four micro structures, a garden and other projects that friends are working on and which people can tour.
Accessory units can provide additional and often more affordable housing options, can facilitate ageing in place, and can help homeowners afford their homes.
Together, these projects showed Levy that interest existed in tiny houses and that the venture could be worth a bigger investment. He created Minim Built - initially called Minim Homes - where he and his two partners sold 88 plans of his flagship micro house for $495 each.
Chris VanArsdale, one of the co-owners, said that he fielded questions last summer from interested buyers and that they considered selling. But ultimately they decided to see if they could create a business model around selling a version of the Minim House on their own.
Customers can now order one of the houses - with or without wheels - for $71,000, plus shipping, and have it delivered ready for move-in.
At 265 square feet and 12 feet wide, the Minim House he is selling is slightly bigger than the one currently showcased on his Stronghold lot.
A view of the kitchen inside a Minim House includes a large window and a full kitchen.
The company is hoping to sell at least one house a month in its first year. They said they already sold one test model to the technology company Intel, which used the structure as a travelling showcase for its products.
The District's new zoning laws would allow micro homes to essentially function as carriage houses in the city, provided the structures are not on wheels. Under the new regulations, it will be easier for homeowners to purchase a micro house for their back yard and rent it out.
The old rules required owners seeking to rent out units to argue their case before the Board of Zoning Adjustment to receive an exception. Under the new regulations, the structures will be automatically permitted in some neighbourhoods - such as Brookland and Chevy Chase, where there are larger single-family homes - as soon as homeowners acquire building permits from the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs.
It's ideal for one, possibly two people, depending on how much you love them.
Eric Shaw, director of the D.C. Office of Planning, wrote in an email that with these new zoning laws, the city wanted to give homeowners more opportunities to have accessory dwellings on their properties.
"Accessory units can provide additional and often more affordable housing options, can facilitate ageing in place, and can help homeowners afford their homes," Shaw wrote.
Levy said their target customer includes retirees looking to downsize, cramped homeowners looking for extra space or rural cabin dwellers.
"It's ideal for one, possibly two people, depending on how much you love them," Levy said. "It's low-maintenance."
It is also designed to be as functional and livable as possible, Levy said. There are large windows and a full kitchen. A cosy table for two pushed against a wall can swing to the middle of the house for an eight-person dinner party. There is a couch that can double as a bench for the table, and a 96-inch projection screen. A queen-size trundle bed pulls out when needed, and there are bookshelves, closets, a work area and a bathroom. And they are all small.
Levy said it will take a maximum of three months from order to delivery.
Minim Built creator sits inside a tiny house that will go into production. Photo / Linda Davidson
