This project isn’t looking to solve any issues with suburban sprawl. We see these communities as still a bit Frankensteinian, but desirable for many Americans.

Using the building blocks of the typical American tract house we asked not only what types of spaces they could contain, but what types of spaces could they create; a change not so much in architectural configuration, but a change in lifestyle.

We wanted to return to utilitarian simplicity and a model of living large in a smaller home.

We as a profession speak romantically about prefabrication and mass production as a way to bring thoughtful design to mainstream homebuyers. We hope for construction costs of $150/sf and “fast” schedules of 6 months. We are a little lost.

The mass housing industry’s bottom line is closer to $60-75/sf and houses are completed in 40-75 days out in the converted farmland of exurbia.

We were asked to collaborate on a new model of tract house, a new American bungalow. The metrics are simple: three bedrooms, two bathrooms, two car garage mandatory. The house needs to meet or exceed the economics of the competition.

This is what we came up with. This is our 60 day experiment.