The MH Park, The ADU, And The Space Interstitial

For MH parks with high vacancies a multi prong rehab might make the most sense: One element to consider folding in is the tiny home popular with many individuals [ and very close couples inured say to RV living ] for whom minimal accommodations are acceptable. Another element, related to the first, is the ADU. An ADU is essentially a tiny home intended for residential subdivisions. A third element is the area between manufactured homes, space long overdue for a more artful and practical overhaul.

Now the typical MH lot is on the order of 100' x 40'. How might such a lot be reworked to incorporate the tiny home / ADU and put the 'interstitial' space to better use ? One possibility is swapping out the existing manufactured home for another comprised of four tiny home style units - each given its own small, private garden courtyard:

In the design above, the existing 78' x 16' MH is replaced with another with the same footprint but with 4 individual dwelling units. The area between the buildings, around 25' x 100', is partitioned into 4 tiny lots 12.5' x 40'. At the front, running along the sidewalk are dual storage sheds 15' x 5' or 75 sq ft, one for each unit.

As the tiny home is still in its developmental stage, it struggles with the problem of siting. In many tiny home communities, homes are towed in and deposited one next to another making for a bit of ramshackle look and feel reminiscent of the auto trailer camps which began to spring up in the 1920s. By merging multiple tiny homes in a single manufactured building, not only is more order and organization brought in but also the benefit of a tremendous economy of scale in production. Likewise, there are many advantages to ganging multi-tiny-home buildings together. Utilities can be conveniently provided, courtyards offer pleasant, private outdoor space, and the land is used much more efficiently. In the design shown above, an effective density of almost 40 ADUs per acre is possible. Now for the investor a question might be whether its better to rent one singlewide for $1,600.00 - or to rent four ADU style apartments for say $650.00 each - factoring in of course the additional maintenance and clerical work. For the single renter or couple able to live at close quarters, does it make sense to save almost $1,000 per month - and while picking up generous outdoor living space / storage space typically unavailable in the conventional apartment.

Below are additional images of the QuadPlex manufactured tiny home / ADU showing it in isolation at greater detail and without the additional loft bed / skylight combo in the drawings above.