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Hobbitats for humans
What is a Hobbitattm? A Hobbitattm is to a typical home...
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...what a Mac is to a PC
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...what a Honda Prius is to a Hummer
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...what a hug is to a handshake
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...what bamboo fiber is to polyester
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...what a double-shot of wheatgrass is to deep fried pork skins
To get an idea of where I'm going with this read "What Hobbits can teach us about low-impact living" by my fellow EcoBroker, Aaron Doyle. What we can learn from the story of Hobbits is truly profound. I remember that Eureka! moment I had when, watching the closing scene of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, I realized who the Lord of the Rings actually was. As the camera lingered on the circular yellow door Samwise Gamgee had just closed on his fantastic little Hobbit home -- it hit me.
Sam was Lord of the Rings.
A humble, child-sized, gardener-Hobbit was the true hero. One we took little notice of in the beginning of the story. Dwell on the particulars of the narrative and you'll realize that, without Sam, the seductive power of the ring and it's ability to corrupt men's souls would have never been overcome. The Bible says that the "meek shall inherit the earth" and so they did Middle Earth. What a powerful parable for us as we transition into an eco-economy and low-impact lifestyles.
One lesson we learned from the Hobbits is that bigger is not necessarily better; that less is more. People who were small in stature but big in character could save the day.
So it can be with housing.
There is growing evidence of pent-up demand for smaller homes with an emphasis on quality construction, ecological features, and unique design. Just Google "katrina cottage" to get an idea of the growth industry that small homes have become. Who would have guessed that a cute 300 square foot home would have captured the imagination of the world as it has? Apparently there's this sizeable population of people who want to transition from the typical footprint to a more Hobbit-like lifestyle.
New home buyers are ready to bypass the cookie-cutter McMansions on large acreage for cozier cottages with little or no yard to maintain. The home pictured above is a great example. I just closed on this property with a young married couple. This is a 1,000 square foot, 1 bedroom home with two square feet of back yard and a spectacular enclosed deck that is more like an outdoor room. The home is an excellent example of adaptive re-use of a historic grocery store. The residence features very thick brick walls, exposed on the interior. The owners benefit from the thermal mass in greater energy efficiency. The home is embedded in downtown Hampton, Georgia and is in easy walking distance to parks, schools, the library, and restaurants. In short, this is a home that is "small" on square footage, but big on style, sustainability, and stewardship. The buyers felt there was no comparison to this home and the droves of poorly built, vinyl clad starter homes that litter the landscape of the clear-cut tracts and carved up cotton fields of surrounding suburbia.
And there are more like-minded folks out there. That's why I am excited to be working on development of a village of high character, high quality, energy efficient cottages I call Hobbitatstm in homage to our humble heroes of Middle Earth and the homes they live in.
More on that in my next post...
Burke Sisco
One of the Cherry Street loft condos adjacent to the one mentioned and pictured above has just become available for sale. This condo represents the creative re-purposing of an historic mercantile building into 1000 sq. ft. of home oozing uniqueness and character. Special features include exposed brick interiors, stained concrete floors, contemporary lighting, granite countertops, spiral ductwork and private decks that function like an outdoor room. All this in a small town setting within easy walking distance to restaurants, parks, and schools. Step inside and you're immediately transported to the world of hip urban lofts more typical of intown Atlanta -- but without the exorbitant sales price.
View a few interior photos here.
Burke Sisco
We closed on 16 Cherry St. this week. The owner is estatic, as she can now walk to her job as a school teacher, saving thousands in gas every year.
In addition to Adaptive Reuse, 16 Cherry Street features rain water reclamation, a foundation from re-claimed "urbanite" (recycled chunks of concrete), and 50% energy savings due to the thermal mass properties of the brick/concrete structure. The home was financed with a loan from myEnergyLoan.
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Reader Comments (4)
I'm glad to learn about your blog, Burke! I hope to learn more about what you are doing with eco housing and Hobbitats!
We were just out walking in Clarkston, looking at houses and we thought of you. We hope you bring some Hobbitats to Clarkston!
The Rowswells
But speaking of full of style, Burke, the Cherry Street lofts you speak of, are just that. I have really been impressed with the design and vision, you and Wayne keep bringing to life, and I agree with Aaron, in that I am looking forward to, and anticipating, the next incarnation of your progressive ideas!