Image from:http://www.weather.com/home-garden/scadpad-atlanta-tiny-homes-parking-garage-20140430
As people flock to live in cities and urban density increases, we have to start asking ourselves how these newcomers can be catered for when it comes to affordable living. The bright minds at Savannah College of Art and Design in Atlanta have been working on a solution to this question and as of April this year the answer was unveiled: SCADpads.
Taking up no more room than a US parking space, about 135 square feet, SCADpads are the new minimal – living houses created inside parking structures. In all major cities across America, of the 105 million parking spaces, around 50% of them are unused. By converting these structures into micro-apartments, the team at Savannah College has begun forging the path to sustainable, efficient living in densely populated cities.
The average cost of living in such a home would set you back near on $60,000, about £35,000. This may seem hefty for a space no bigger than the car you drive to work in but when you consider the cost of a studio apartment in New York or London, it starts to look more reasonable. Plus, all of these SCADpads cost next to nothing to heat or cool and they all boast energy-efficient features such as recycled water to be used in the communal garden.
Image from:http://www.interiorsbystudiom.com/blog/2014/05/small-spaces-green-living-scadpad-apartment-interior-design/
The prototype pods currently situated on the Savannah College campus in Atlanta have all been designed to accentuate the themes of the college locations: Asia, Europe and North America. Granted the interiors are perhaps a little garish, reminiscent of a craft fair stock cupboard, but most of the materials are re-purposed and recycled goods. Also, while the homes are limited on space inside, each pod has its own private courtyard, perfect for when you want to entertain guests.
image source: http://assets.inhabitat.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2014/04/SCADpad-Europe-interior.jpg
So are SCADpads the future of city living? The movement is still in its early stages, but with time we could be seeing these micro-homes popping up in disused parking structures across major cities in England. Until then, see what some of the current SCADpad residents think of their miniature homes.
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