Cozy Cottages

All in the Family

If the phrase “mother-in-law casita” conjures up an unfavorable mental picture, this sleek accessory unit certainly defies the stereotype. Designed as a companion residence for extended family, it is the antithesis of dowdy.

“It started when [my wife’s mother] came back from Lowe’s with a little brochure on the Katrina Cottages,” says builder Wes Wigginton, who partnered with designer Eric Brown on the concept. “She had been living in the guest room of our home and was in need of her own space.”

Located 200 feet uphill from the main house, the 1,070-square-foot “MILHouse” (gotta love the acronym) contains two bedrooms, two baths, and an open living/dining/kitchen zone. The structure was built on site, although Brown designed its primary form as two modules, using standardized measurements for cost and material efficiencies. But the most unique thing of all is its exposed skeleton, which was a deliberate move with both aesthetic and performance benefits.

“Steel has great structural capacity, but we removed it from the thermal envelope because it has the negative of becoming a thermal conduit,” explains Brown, who has since joined Wigginton’s company, Foursquare Builders, as its in-house designer. Relegating those steel beams to the outside not only allowed an airtight shell with no thermal breaks, it maximized views to the outdoors. “The vertical steel members are stronger and skinnier than the wood columns that would have been required to support such a large porch. We painted them a neutral gray so they blend with the site’s native oaks and cedar trees,” he says.

It wasn’t long after the nifty little residence was featured as part of Austin’s summer 2009 “Cool House” tour that Wigginton began receiving client requests for similar accessory units on Hill Country properties outside of Austin. The builder is now close to finishing its second such structure, MILHouse 2.0, which is expected to be completed by October 2010.

“We are starting to see more clients who are thinking about the future needs of their in-laws and parents and planning ahead,” Wigginton says. “As a result, these casita-type solutions are more a part of the conversation now.” 

Project: MILHouse 1.0
Location: Austin
Builder: Foursquare Builders
Designer: Thoughtcrib