Will Washington, D.C. become another member of the tiny-house movement? With help from the provisions in the city's new zoning code, it might happen. The Washington Post reported that these provisions, set to begin September 6, will allow the structures to be built as a matter of right in certain neighborhoods. These neighborhoods include R-1, R-2, and R-3 zones, or low-density residential areas, such as Brookland and Chevy Chase.
According to The Washington Post, these are the regulations that will be enforced on the structures:
"The tiny houses cannot be more than 35 percent of the gross floor area of the primary home, which must be at minimum 1,200 square feet in most zones and 2,000 square feet in R-1 zones.They must be adjacent to either a 24-foot-wide alley, or a 15-foot-wide alley and at most 300 feet from a main road for fire safety. And the principal dwelling must be owner-occupied."
Firms like R. Michael Cross Design Group are already preparing for the new regulations. The founder of the architectural firm Michael Cross told The Washington Post that his team plans on having prototypes of tiny homes ready by this fall.
There are already two tiny-home communes in Washington, D.C. There are also plans to build 1,000 tiny homes across the city thanks to At-Large Councilmember Vincent Orange.
• D.C. shift could make tiny houses more abundant [The Washington Post]