Homeownership has become the great American (pipe) dream but Jonathan Tate thinks there’s a more inclusive way to build.
Sandwiched between a nondescript duplex and industrial warehouse in the Irish Channel neighborhood of New Orleans, a modern, two-story home stands out from its neighbors thanks to a slender profile, angular roof, and corrugated-metal cladding. With an area of 975 square feet, the structure is diminutive, but this is no flavor-of-the-month tiny house: it’s the proof of concept for architect Jonathan Tate and developer Charles Rutledge’s Starter Home* program—a model of infill development that turns underused, unbuildable lots into entry-level residences.