Do Laneway
Houses Actually Result in Affordable Housing?
By: Teralynn Ledger
Summary statement of proposed project
This
project will outline the results of implementing a series of affordable laneway
homes on the lane of lots that have been built on previously. This research
will determine whether building laneway houses will be beneficial or
detrimental to the effort of building more affordable homes in residential
areas. To determine whether or not small houses will counteract the effect that
the lack of low income housing has on urban areas a series of topics will be
researched. By looking into the topics of low income housing and small houses the
importance of building affordable laneway houses will be discovered.
Purpose
This
purpose of this research is to discover if building affordable laneway houses
on already existing lots could greatly increase the amount of affordable
housing in residential areas. This research will benefit architecture students because
if affordable laneway houses are a feasible option then they can start
designing more laneway houses and try to apply for jobs at companies that build
small houses. Thompson Rivers University will be benefitted by this research
since building more affordable houses may cause more families to move to
Kamloops which will in turn benefit the economy and the University. These
families may have children or teenagers that will stay in Kamloops for
University which is going to directly benefit TRU. The general public will also
be benefitted by these affordable laneway houses since there will be more low
income housing options available in residential areas. This research may
benefit the quality of life in Kamloops and since there has been very little
research on this topic already it is important to begin looking into solutions to
any housing problems that may exist.
Goals and objectives of the project
The
main goal of this project is to research the benefits that come from building
affordable laneway houses. Preliminary research states that building affordable
laneway houses will create a possible reduction in construction costs. Comparing
the data found through a variety of sources will form a clear understanding of
whether or not building laneway houses is a feasible option for a new type of
low income housing. This research will discover if building laneway houses is a
good way to increase the number of low income houses in residential areas.
Methodology and analytical approach
There
are many steps that need to be followed in order to find out if constructing
laneway houses is an affordable option with regards to building in residential
areas. The first step will be to research small houses and the budget used to
construct them. The second step will be to research the benefits of low income
houses in residential areas. Then the research from the first two steps will be
compared in order to find out if laneway houses are an affordable type of low
income housing. The next step will be to collect original data from the
construction of a laneway house in Kamloops. This data will then be compared
with the data previously researched in order to prove whether or not this is a
feasible option. Information on the construction of this laneway house will be
found by conducting different meetings with the builder, once the owner chooses
one, and the architect, Dale Parkes. The architect, Dale Parkes, is also the
instructor of the research course. The connection with him will add to this
applied research project since working with him will assist in the collection
of original data that could then be used by other architects or industry
professionals. The steps taken to complete this project will be thorough and
conducive to the research required to discover whether the construction of affordable
laneway houses is a good idea.
Previous studies or related information
There
have been some previous studies done on small houses and low income houses;
however, there is a knowledge gap that could be filled with a project that looks
at the affordability of laneway houses. In order to fill this gap, there must
first be research done on the already existing studies. There have been studies
done on small houses and how “small spaces are easier and more economical to
run” (Wilhide, 2007, p.6). Not only are small houses more affordable to build
in the construction stage, they can also be built under budget; therefore, they
may also have a more manageable mortgage than that of a larger house (Wilhide,
2007). Implementing this affordable small space idea into a plan to build
affordable laneway houses to be used as low income housing is a great way to
discover their affordability. There have also been studies done on low income
houses and the different ways that can be used to make affordable houses that
look expensive, this is done by implementing a variety of architectural
features to the overall house design (Low-Income Housing Goes Upscale, 2004). Architects
have the ability to design low income houses that look upscale while they are
also designed to be economically priced. This report will be unique since it is
going to meld the research previously done on each of these topics into one
report containing the comparative research.
Plans for dissemination of work
The
progression of this research report will be outlined in a blog. By updating
this blog with new research, as the project moves along, it will allow for
others to read and comment on the updated research. These comments and
suggestions will help shape this research project into a well-rounded project. Sharing
the work with others, along with reading the research done by others, is an
imperative step in shaping the overall quality of the report. This research
will produce a report that has the potential to become a published research
report. The data enclosed in this report could be used by architects or city
planners to implement more low income housing options into residential areas. This
research report could be a major breakthrough in the world or architectural
design and the low income housing market.
References Cited
Bridsall,
D. (1986). The Small House (Book). Library Journal, 111(13), 137.
de
Valle, C. (2005). Compact Houses. New York: Universe Publishing.
Fain,
G. (2010). Life in the Back Lane. Canadian Architect, 55(4), 22-26.
Fogel,
S. J., Smith, M. T., & Williamson, A. R. (2008). A Decent Home for Every
Family?
Housing
Policy Initiatives Since the 1980s. Journal Of Sociology & Social Welfare,
35(1), 175-196.
Horrigan,
A. (1997). Affordable by design. (Cover story). E: The Environmental Magazine,
8(4),
28.
Low-Income
Housing Goes Upscale. (2004). Journal of Housing & Community Development,
61(4), 13.
Molnar,
F. E. (2001). Lofts. Massachusetts: Rockport Publishers, Inc.
Wilhide,
E. (2008). Small Spaces. London: Jacqui Small.
Contribution of the project to my
academic goals and objectives
The
idea for this project came from a course that I took in first year. In this
course I designed a laneway house for a contest within the course involving a
client who wishes to build this house in Kamloops chooses one of the designs
submitted. The design that he chose was
the laneway house that I designed, so I am now working with the client, the
builder, and my teacher, Dale Parkes, in order to see the project through to
completion. Now that I am a second year in the Architectural & Engineering
Technology Program, I am going to be writing a research project in which I will
be applying my research by following this house project from the building
permit stage until final completion. I will then be comparing the real life
data collected by researching this laneway house to the information gathered
from research on previously completed studies. Implementing this real life data
into my report will help me achieve my academic goal of becoming a designer who
specializes in laneway houses and other small and affordable homes. This
project will allow me to reach this goal, while gaining experience in the field
of laneway house and low income housing design. Learning about affordable
laneway houses will make me an asset to any architecture firm that specializes
in either sustainable design or laneway houses. This project will not only
assist me in achieving my future goals but it will also help the construction
industry by filling the knowledge gap that surrounds building laneway houses
that will be used as affordable housing alternatives.
Period of project: February 2013 until January 2014, a total research period of 46 weeks
Research expenses
~ computer purchased and used throughout the entire project period at a cost of $500
~ compter desk purchaesd and used throughout the entire project period at a cost of $300
~ photocopier rental for the last two months of the project at a rate of $50/month
~ total cost for research expenses is $900
Travel expenses
~ fuel costs of driving to and from the office, meetings, and construction site at a cost of $0.50/km for the estimated 300km driven during the project period
~ the total cost for travel expenses is $150
Printing of the report
~ this report will need to be professionally printed at a rate of $1.00/page with an estimated total of 50 pages to be printed for the report
~ the total cost for printing of the report is $50
Overhead
~ rent for the office space required will be $100/week over the 34 week period
~ the total cost for overhead is $3400
Total budget
~ the grand total for the research project is $4500
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