The idea of micro condominiums, condos that are under 500 sf in size, is not new in densely populated cities such as New York or Tokyo, where sub-500-sf homes are not created to be hip and trendy, but, instead, are created out of necessity.
And while a city like Houston, and its population of just under 2.2 million certainly doesn’t categorize it as small, it also doesn’t make it a very dense city, either, especially when you take into account it is spread across 599.6 square miles (making it the ninth largest U.S. city by land area, ahead of New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago).
And yet, new home developer and builder Surge Homes has just announced its plans to deliver the first micro condos in Houston in 2017. The Hadley Building, part of the Parc at Midtown development, will include 14 micro condos among its total of 28 homes. The $21.6 million, 80-home community, Parc at Midtown, will mark the first Houston development with micro condos available for ownership.
All of the floor plans for Surge Homes’ micro condos will range from 414 sf to 498 sf. Although small, each condo will feature a closed master bedroom, space for entertaining in the living areas, and windows on the front and back exterior walls, providing a wealth of natural light.
While Houston may not be in need of micro condos, market research collected by Surge Homes of nearly 3,400 Houstonians gave some insight into the growing demand among Houston residents for these tiny homes. By being the first developer in Houston to offer micro condos, Surge Homes hopes to parlay its forward-thinking bet on these European-inspired floor plans into increased sales.
And they may already be seeing the payoff. The Parc at Midtown development, which features more traditionally sized homes, as well, has sold 55 percent of its homes in 120 days, making it the third fastest-selling residential subdivision in Houston for the first quarter of 2016, according to Meyers Research LLC.
A typical Hadley Building condominium kitchen featuring optional integrated refrigerator. Image: PRNewsFoto/Surge Homes
Related Stories
Multifamily Housing | Oct 16, 2019
Covenant House New York will support the city’s homeless youth
FXCollaborative designed the building.
Multifamily Housing | Oct 16, 2019
A new study wonders how many retiring adults will be able to afford housing
Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies focuses on growing income disparities among people 50 or older.
Multifamily Housing | Oct 14, 2019
Eleven, Minneapolis’ tallest condo tower, breaks ground
RAMSA designed the project.
| Oct 11, 2019
Tips on planning for video surveillance cameras for apartment and condominium projects
“Cameras can be part of a security program, but they’re not the security solution itself.” That’s the first thing to understand about video surveillance systems for apartment and condominium projects, according to veteran security consultant Michael Silva, CPP.
Multifamily Housing | Oct 9, 2019
Multifamily developers vs. Peloton: Round 2... Fight!
Readers and experts offer alternatives to Peloton bicycles for their apartment and condo projects.
Multifamily Housing | Oct 7, 2019
Plant Prefab and Brooks + Scarpa design scalable, multifamily kit-of-parts
It is Plant Prefab’s first multifamily system.
Multifamily Housing | Oct 3, 2019
50 Penn breaks ground in New York, will provide 218 units of affordable housing
Dattner Architects is designed the project.
Multifamily Housing | Sep 12, 2019
Meet the masters of offsite construction
Prescient combines 5D software, clever engineering, and advanced robotics to create prefabricated assemblies for apartment buildings and student housing.
Multifamily Housing | Sep 10, 2019
Carbon-neutral apartment building sets the pace for scalable affordable housing
Project Open has no carbon footprint, but the six-story, solar-powered building is already leaving its imprint on Salt Lake City’s multifamily landscape.