Trailer Treasure

[SoCalDem]

Not a new article, but a "just-found-one"..and an interesting approach to affordable housing.


http://trailerwrap.net/



The trailer park—that ubiquitous, often dreary fixture of the American landscape—is about to get a makeover. As part of a project called TrailerWrap, Michael Hughes, an architect and professor at the University of Arkansas, has converted a traditional mobile home at the Mapleton Trailer Park in Boulder, Colorado, into a light-filled, beautiful space.

To Hughes, trailer parks offer an architectural opportunity to address questions of affordable housing. And he believes that trailers simply make sense as high-density alternatives to suburban sprawl.

But first, they need to be made into attractive living spaces. "This is refabricated housing," Hughes says. "What does it mean to have light pouring into your home, with nine-foot instead of seven-foot ceilings? We wanted to highlight what’s possible even on a small house."


http://www.trailerwrap.net/TrailerWrap.pdf

[OneMoreDemocrat]

1. It beats my crappy apartment in Astoria (NYC)....

and probably a lot less expensive.

I'd live in one in a heartbeat.

[Warpy]

2. I lived in a single wide for 5 years

and it was both a huge step up from apartment living and the most well thought out space I've ever lived in. Although it was only about 750 square feet, every inch was packed full of storage and planned for furniture so that it was never cluttered and always seemed much, much larger.

If I could have picked it up and dropped into this part of town, I'd still be in it. I loved that thing. There was little cleaning and less maintenance. It was the most comfortable home I've ever had.

On edit: while I might go for the ceiling lift, I think I'd pass on the rest of the interior. Little thought went into it beyond creating an empty box. Small spaces are great but only if they're well thought out. This one is not.

[EFerrari]

3. When I used to hide out up here and before this studio was built

my friend and I rehabbed an ancient silver, bullet shaped AirStream and I lived there, on and off, for about two years. It had power, water, a small water heater, a small septic tank, a deck, a flagstone path I put down, a rose garden, a veggie garden and low chapparal trained into a hedge that gave me 3/4 privacy from the road. Oh, it was near the main road here, too.

It was a lot of fun working on the trailer after work and figgering out all the engineering and design problems. Everything was really small and sort of perfect for one person that lives pretty simply.

[one_voice]

4. I think it sucks..

that people that live in trailers are the butt of so many jokes. It's can be a very affordable alternative to living in a rental home/apt.

My husband and I lived in a trailer for five years. We bought an inexpensive one, and did some work, and ended up with a 4 bedroom, 2 bath, family room, living and kitchen/dining room and all we paid was our lot rent, which was way cheaper than the places we'd been renting. Since we bought it so cheap, we were able to get back everything we put into it. And were able to save for the house we bought.

It's also good for people who can't maintain a home anymore, due to age, or illness.

[4_TN_TITANS]

6. I hate the 'trailer' stigma too...

When the wife and I got married and had little money, we bought a brand new 4 bdrm. 2 ba. trailer at $240 per month. We spent the next 14 years watching people bite of mortgages that they couldn't afford. When the time and income was right, we bought a solid older home. The trailer is paid off and being fixed up right this moment for her grandparents to have a decent place to stay.

Sorry, but versus rent or a hefty mortgage, a trailer was a great economical choice for us and provided a good home for our daughters to grow up in.

[Quantess]

5. Looks kinda cool.