A 220 square foot custom-designed house will be featured at this year’s IDS West, taking place from September 29 to October 2. A little home that’s big on style, the L41 includes top of the line appliances, a gourmet kitchen, a full projection screen and an outdoor patio. Normally found in upscale apartments, these are all standard amenities for the ultra-compact house, designed by architect Michael Katz and designer Janet Corne.
A play on the words “All for one, one for all, a home for all”, the L41 will be on display during the interior design show. A marvel of small space living, this delightful home is factory built and delivered “move-in ready”, according to Katz.
The L41 home is designed to make it possible for the millions of people who otherwise cannot afford to buy a house to become homeowners. In the same way that the Model-T made it possible for the masses to own a car, Katz and Corne believe that the key to providing a home for everyone is to minimize its size and to utilize mass-production. The L41 has been designed with both these factors in mind.
The L41 home has been conceived for a generation that believes in the importance of preserving our limited resources. The prototype that will be on display at IDS West is constructed of Cross-laminated Timber, (CLT) a relatively new North American wood product. The most outstanding benefit of CLT is that it’s solid wood material that can be used as a substitute for concrete in mid-rise buildings.
L41 homes can be built into many configurations. Because of highly achievable densities, the homes have the potential to play a significant role in providing affordable, sustainable housing to inner cities. In addition to the 220 square foot studio, there are also 320 square foot (1 bedroom), and 420 square foot (2 bedroom) units available.
Katz and Corne also believe that the heart of a home is the kitchen. Rather than sacrificing the kitchen and creating a kitchenette, they’ve included major appliances found in a full size home, including a washing machine that can also dry clothes, a smartly placed fridge under the counter, a convection open and microwave, and a slide-out overhead fan. This modernist and minimal space also features generous countertops of reconstituted quartz as well as ample storage areas.
The living room allows space for a couch (that converts to a bed), coffee table, chairs and a computer desk.
Blinds can be pulled for complete privacy or used as a backdrop for projections. From the living room, a custom-created sliding door can be opened that disappears into the side of the unit for full access to an outdoor deck. The L41 generates and stores solar electricity on-site through photovoltaic and solar thermal heating and cooling cells on its green roof.
These smartly designed homes can either be used as stand-alone housing or in modules, stacked in multiple ways or clustered into villages of multiple units around garden courtyards, medium-rise or high-rise buildings.
The Interior Design Show West (IDS West) is Western Canada’s annual premiere design show featuring 200 exhibitors showcasing quality products and services to an audience of industry professionals, architects, designers and consumers. IDS West is known for its cutting edge in art, architecture, lighting and design pieces.