The Cottages on Vaughan is the first project of its kind in Clarkston, Georgia, the most diverse square mile in America. The new pocket neighborhood, situated on a half-acre lot a block away from downtown Clarkston, includes eight micro-cottage homes, a common green space for gathering, and climate-conscious development features such as solar panels and edible, regenerative landscaping. The cottages are naturally affordable and sustainable simply due to their size–all the homes are 492 square feet, except for one 250 square foot tiny house.

The Cottages on Vaughan consist of one micro-cottage affordable at 60% AMI, four at 60-120% AMI, and three at market-rate prices. Each home has a room-sized front porch that faces inward to the common area. The homes are craftsman style and 1.5 stories with a livable, room-sized loft that can be used as a home office or guest area. The landscaping in the greenspace is vibrant with flowers, foliage, and edible plants such as fruit trees, berry bushes, vegetables, and herb gardens. The site is laid out intentionally to foster community through design principles that encourage and enable neighborly interactions. The community is located on an infill lot in downtown Clarkston with direct walkability and proximity to restaurants, groceries, and retail. The neighborhood is also near a bus stop and a walking trail through a public park.

Four of the homes are equipped with solar panels and have achieved net-zero energy. The community is also decorated with 100% solar lighting in common spaces and walkways. The development features eco-friendly permeable pathways and parking spaces. All heating and cooling are accomplished by one high efficiency Mitsubishi mini split system per home. Above all, the Cottages on Vaughan are naturally sustainable simply by having a small footprint. The home sizes required limited materials to build and require a very limited amount of energy to heat and cool. The impact of the development is also limited by placing all eight of the homes on a lot that would typically only host one single-family home.

MicroLife Institute worked directly with the municipality to update the cottage court ordinance, allowing for the creation of this pilot project, and worked with neighbors and community members to overcome NIMBYism and embrace cottage courts in the Clarkston community. The Cottages on Vaughan challenge the norm of single-family home development, allowing for greater housing choice in and around Atlanta and Georgia at large. MicroLife demonstrates through education and development of pilot projects such as the Cottages on Vaughan that community members of all ages, races, colors, genders, demographics and socioeconomic backgrounds deserve and should have access to attainable housing without subsidy. MicroLife enables quality attainable housing by producing homes with reduced footprints and reasonable density, creating homeownership opportunities that allow residents to remain within their community. The MicroLife Institute has first right of refusal on all houses in case a homeowner wants to sell, minimizing the potential for price gauging in future sales. MicroLife maintains that the homes will be sold at attainable rates in accordance with their nonprofit mission and vision.

Location: Clarkston, Georgia
Developers: MicroLife Institute and Tiny South