Over the last year, the School of Architecture at the University of Utah has been collaborating with The Other Side Village to design and construct a tiny house. Our students and faculty developed unique designs and construction documents for 12 projects during the Fall 2021 semester, of which one was selected to be built.

The final design is a 280-square-foot dwelling that integrates sustainable materials and high-performance building systems. The construction started in mid-May, with initial wood framing and structural system, and the home was completed in August. It is remarkable that students and the team were able to complete the construction in record time, on the concrete pad outside of our School, using the available resources, materials, and tools.

The tiny house will provide affordable, permanent quality housing for individuals coming out of chronic homelessness. Our community is facing many challenges with rising costs of housing, supply chain issues, environmental concerns, and a lack of affordable housing options for vulnerable populations. This tiny house is an exemplary project that showcases how good design, sustainable materials, and high-performance building systems can create a beautiful and efficient home. It is also an example of how community engagement efforts, collaboration and partnerships between our School and local organizations can create long-lasting effects in our community.

Instructors: Sarah Winkler and Grant Marriott

Graduate Students: Sahar Assadi, Braxton Beers, Kelly Caragea, Héliane Djobo, Surbhi Ghodke, Zach Gundry, Taggart Harris, Leezanna Hill, Makenzee Johnson, Solvita Karklins, Stephen Ormsbee, Aastha Shrestha, Alec Silva, Priyanka Siriki, Kaiet Ysursa, and Zijie Zhou