Houses, no matter how small, could fit the coast

New Urban News Article with images, 1/12/2005

Designs from less than 300 square feet on up aim to reinforce South Mississippi’s character.

The Gulf Coast of Mississippi needs to gird itself against a flood of mass-produced houses that have little in common with the homes built in the region over the past two centuries. So said many of the participants in the Mississippi Renewal Forum as they went about creating dozens of designs that would strengthen the established — and now endangered — character of the coastal communities.

Some of the new urbanists’ designs were for temporary dwellings needed immediately by displaced residents. Others were for permanent homes, ranging from prefabricated Habitat for Humanity dwellings to larger, mid-priced residences. The vast majority of the designs carry on the traditions of the Gulf Coast — traditions that could be disrupted if stock builder houses or standard factory-made houses suddenly proliferate, as many fear will happen.

Marianne Cusato produced three versions of an emergency dwelling that she estimated could be manufactured or built on site for about $25,000 to shelter workers or displaced residents. Each of the three 294 sq. ft. cottages compensates for its diminutive size by having two bunk rooms rather than standard bedrooms and by having an eight-foot-deep front porch and a style reminiscent of cottages built a century ago.