Cottage Housing in Plain English
What is Cottage Housing?
Cottage housing is generally defined as a grouping of small, detached, single family dwelling units clustered around a common open space or courtyard and developed under a coherent plan. It is typically built on small infill sites in established residential neighborhoods. It fills a niche between traditional choices of single family and multifamily housing. Although less spacious than conventional single family, it offers the privacy and personal space of a detached house in a less costly package. Many local codes specify dimensional ranges to tailor its application for the particular community. Typical defining characteristics include small houses ranging from 500 to 1200 sq. ft., a range of about 4 to 12 cottages per site, and open space in common ownership. Most often, local codes specify higher permitted densities, subject to design criteria not applicable to typical single-family developments. Cottages may be located on separate platted lots, or on undivided, commonly-owned land. Residents may share use (and maintenance expense) of common facilities such as parking, storage areas, and amenities. Thoughtful design and efficient use of space are hallmarks of these developments. The clustered housing arrangement and common areas distinguish this housing type from small house/small lot development that conforms to conventional setbacks and street alignment.
Cottage Housing as Applied in Washington
Pine Street Cottages, a pioneer cottage housing project in Seattle, involved the renovation of a dilapidated bungalow court built in 1916. This ten unit project would not have been permitted as a new project under Seattle's single family zoning because of the building arrangement and higher density. Allowed as a renovation, it proved compatible with neighboring single family residences and helped meet the high market demand for small, affordable housing. Seattle and other jurisdictions have since adopted cottage housing codes. The small-sized cottages proved to be a good match for growing segments of the population (such as retirees desiring smaller homes near services, single person or single parent households, couples without children, first home buyers, and small families). The clustered arrangement and shared facilities provide the opportunity for interaction with neighbors. The most successful projects employ Craftsman or other architectural styles that respect existing neighborhood character. Well-designed cottage housing can offer significant community benefits such as efficient use of land, and reduced demand for energy and building materials compared to conventional single family. It allows moderate increases in density while minimizing development scale. The number of people and vehicles per unit, overall lot coverage and building footprint are less than for a similar number of single family units. The smaller-sized units also are generally affordable to a wider pool of buyers, although not necessarily low income residents. Even so, its departure from existing patterns and its higher density have encountered resistance in some communities, particularly where designed with less sensitivity.
Resources
- Cottage Housing, MRSC webpage
- Bainbridge Island White Paper (
769 KB), 12/07