My Amateur Effort to Design a 450 Square Foot Affordable Unit

If I was living alone in a 450 square foot space, I would want:

1. my own kitchenette with hot plate, toaster oven, microwave, bar fridge and sink as well as some counter space

2. my own w/c

3. an eating area that doubles as a meeting space

4. my own washer/dryer

5. a large screen TV that I can see from my bed as well as from an entertainment area (sofa/love seat) plus use as a data screen for meetings/presentations

6. a desk with a bookshelf

7. dividing the space with furniture not walls/not blocking light as much as possible

8. space big enough to store

stuff like a snowboard or pair of skis

9. walk-in tiled shower (close to a roll-in condition so no big impediments to entry/exit)

10. a night table and closet next to my bed

11. Netflix, Internet, wi-fi, net phone, basic cable

12. a few places to hang wall art (over my bed, on the bathroom outside wall, over my desk)

That’s about it. Oh yes, I would want soundproof walls, floors, ceilings so I don’t disturb my neighbors and vice versa. So the above is my amateur effort to design something I might like.

By the way, I would also like to remove one of the above windows, and replace it with French doors and a balcony. We are cooped up indoors so much in northern shelf cities that a balcony would add a lot of value (as well as a lot of cost and maintenance I’m afraid). So it might look something like this instead:

This isn’t a design that is the least expensive option for affordable housing; not by a country mile. But it is one that is at the upper end of what I would call “affordable housing”. 

@ profbruce @ quantum_entity

Postscript: In addition to including Netfix, Internet, wi-fi, net phone, basic cable and large screen TV as well as some built-in furniture, I would also like to add cleaning service, tenant insurance, admin, property management, parking, and possibly other furnishings too. Just saying.