Tiny Homes

Tiny Homes

Tiny Homes

Tiny Homes

Tiny Homes

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Tiny Homes
Location: Chicago, IL, USA
Program: Residential
Client: Alphawood Foundation
Size: 3,220ft²
International competition / Research
Team: Ji-Hwan Park & Ben Blakeman

According to the 2015 Chicago Homeless Count and Survey conducted by the City of Chicago, 31% of the unsheltered homeless population and 19% of those that are sheltered are between the ages of 18 and 24 years old. Though these numbers are startling, many of the city’s homeless young adults are actively working to improve their quality of life.

Tiny Homes can provide a lower-cost solution to the need for affordable and subsidized housing in Chicago; particularly for those young adults living without stable housing. Micro-living has become a trend in diverse communities, but has only recently been introduced as a low-cost, viable, quality-of-life-enhancing alternative to homeless shelters.

With their own private space in a planned development young adults can safely store personal belongings, including clothes, textbooks and legal documents; as well, they provide young adults with privacy within a shared community—all components of an important step on their path to full independence.