Sustainable Design in Small Spaces  

This webinar is part of the Interiors Home Academy

Tiny homes, micro homes, accessory dwelling units (ADU), and casitas. Whether designed as a rental, a place for returning children or aging parents, or as a potential solution to the homelessness/unhoused crisis, going small provides big opportunities for architects. Along with the modest footprint and infill potential, tiny homes also offer a chance to create unbeatable sustainable projects. All-electric, well-insulated, comfortable, and durable tiny homes can be the model of energy conservation, durability, and carbon-neutral design.

However, without thoughtful consideration, a tiny home can feel like a repurposed garden shed—dark, cramped, and dismal. A critical part of tiny home design is understanding the importance of light and color in creating vibrant environments that feel full-sized, even in smaller spaces.

This AIA-accredited continuing education webinar explores how tiny homes and buildings under 600 square feet are becoming increasingly popular and can become a competitive advantage for architects looking to expand their design and client base. It will also look at how the specification of color, inside and out, plays an important role in creating a space that satisfies both the occupant’s well-being and sustainable goals.

Photo courtesy of Adobe

Marcos Santa Ana, AIA CPHD GC, High-Performance Designer, Passive House Certified, founder of Alloi was born into a family of artists, builders and craftspeople in the upstate community of Woodstock, New York. He studied architecture across the world and attributes the Scandinavian influence from studying in Aarhus, Denmark, Spanish modernism from his study in Barcelona, Spain and his American experimentalism from several influential professors at the University at Buffalo in the State of New York who earned their degrees from the Harvard Graduate School of design and Cornell University. Marcos’ culturally-diverse education influences projects at Alloi.

Erin Stork, IIDA at Helix Architecture + Design, is a true visionary and natural-born creative, Erin has mastered the ability to catch a client’s excitement for their project and bring ideas to life. Anyone who has met her knows the passion she exudes for design, but those of us who work alongside Erin get to see how that passion is applied to elevating how people experience the spaces around them. Whether working with workplace, hospitality or higher education clients, it is evident that for her, everything is about people. Her enthusiasm is contagious to clients and coworkers alike.