The first 20K house, currently occupied by Elizabeth Phillips was designed by four non-architecture students and one architecture student. It is a clear exposition of what can be achieved for $10,000 in materials. It is fair to say that the Rural Studio considers it more square footage than design!
The house has quite a large number of small rooms, which the client does enjoy, and feels they own “something of substance”! Cross ventilation is successfully achieved at the front and back doors. However, the big design ‘hit’ is the porch that can be moved to a desirable location along the front façade prior to completion depending on the aspect/orientation of the building.
The house has shingles on the front façade and tin along the rear façade in an attempt to differentiate the front from the back: with the front of the house becoming gentler and more “home-like” and the back having the economy of tin. The house achieved approximately 780 square feet of conditioned space and is the largest 20K house that the Rural Studio has managed to build so far for approximately $10,000 in materials.
