Tiny Houses in the Microvillage

Microvillages come in all styles and varieties, but one type of house that finds a special place within the microvillage vision is the tiny house. This is because in choosing it, tiny house owners have chosen what is essential. I've written and re-written the intro to this one several times. Mostly because until you realize this concept, it’s hard to convince anyone of it, but once you've accepted the premise, it makes perfect sense. It is this: the best house for a microvillage is a "just right" sized one.  At the heart of it, it’s about knowing yourself and what a "just right" sized house means for you, but I am willing to bet, for most people, just right is actually smaller than you think.

Also, as an aside before we really dig into this, when most people think, “tiny house” they are talking about less than 400 square feet of living space. By including modestly sized homes in this discussion (approximately 1,000 sf or less) we are including families and others who fall into the “smaller than average” living space category but are not technically “tiny” homeowners.

Tiny and modestly sized houses are uniquely compatible for the microvillage layout. The reasons for this are fourfold: (1) The lifestyle of tiny houses and community living go hand in glove (2) Smaller houses tuck in together more seamlessly and don't impose on one another (3) Design considerations that prioritize quality (4) Cost considerations make smaller houses a better option. Is this to say that other houses couldn't be chosen for a place within the microvillage? No, but it's seriously worth considering the merits of smaller homes.

The Tiny Lifestyle

There is a trend afoot for simple living, for minimalizing your life, and for choosing to reduce your consumption and ecological impact. The tiny house movement has been gaining ground for decades, and in all areas of the country, many people are streamlining their lives, drastically reducing their living spaces and asking questions about the stuff of their lives.  Is this useful? Is it beautiful? Is it necessary? Does it bring me joy?

Journeying down this path of intentionality leads to a lifestyle that dovetails with the microvillage concept beautifully because these questions engage the life you live within your home and the microvillage addresses these questions as they exist just outside your front door.

That immediate environment that you surround yourself and your family with deserves at least as much attention as all your interior decorating, planning, and wardrobe selection etc.

“Friends are the family we choose for ourselves.” -Edna Buchanan

Microvillages help collocate those friendships to have the proximity of support that they might otherwise never provide. It is an intentional framework for a better support system, for more local community, and for more present and accessible friendships.
At the same time, living the life of a tiny house owner is about seizing opportunity, taking initiative, and pursuing home ownership on a level that makes sense.  The microvillage is about carving out a better neighborhood, keeping private property in the hands of each resident, and designing spaces that make sense for the people who live there.

Clustering Efficiently

One of the primary ideas behind the microvillage is giving everyone as much space as they want/can afford and to make residential densities lower than in suburban tracts and pocket-neighborhood lots. Additionally, giving a feeling of space, of park-like surroundings, even if some residents don't want a large yard to maintain, giving the feeling that they are not packed in on top of one another can be achieved by more modest sized houses. Smaller houses cluster more efficiently without imposition and can give the illusion of nestling together in a cozy way rather than of packing in like sardines.

Prioritizing Quality

The same principles that go into designing quality spaces within the home are echoed in the microvillage layout. View, flow, the purpose and use of each space in the house and how all of the design elements interplay within the home are key to shape the life that is lived within its walls. Similarly, in microvillage design, the role of the car is taken from the center and replaced with green spaces, the way in which semi-private areas and the private zones of the neighborhood relate, how the houses and walking paths, visual boundaries, inviting spaces, gardens, and natural growth interplay all speak a language that impact how life is lived.

Cost Considerations

By starting from the point of asking: what does my family need (in terms of living space), what does our lifestyle require, and proceeding from there, you're able to identify the qualitative goals of your house. Sarah Susanka in her book "Creating the Not So Big House" mentions that in order to find your ideal home, you take your original budget and what you are told you could get for that price in today's market and deliberately choose a house that is about one-third smaller.  Reducing the size gives you more room in your budget to craft the spaces into tailor made, higher quality, and well thought out designs. (This book is one of several that she's written; its brimming with ideas on how to craft those quality spaces.)


Not only would the building costs be lower for a smaller house but so would the living and maintenance costs. The utilities, the tax bill, and homeowner’s insurance would all be relative to the square footage. Modest and tiny houses are more compatible to the sustainability aspect of the microvillage vision as well as being more affordable.

All of the merits of modest and tiny sized homes aside, the best house for a microvillage is the one that best fits you. The one that aligns with your financial situation, family size, personal preferences, and lifestyle. The next post will be on specific design considerations for floor plans that suit the microvillage so stay tuned.