With the current average income of Las Vegas, Nevada, many houses are unaffordable to those making under $51,000 a year. My goal in the development of this housing unit is to provide median income families with a house that not only fits within their budget, but is something they can be proud of and comfortable living in as well.

I researched a wide variety of sites keeping in mind that my goal in the development of this project was to design a family friendly home. However, I struggled to find an affordable area located near educational facilities and with a crime rate lower than 6/10 (Vegas, am I right?).

Upon further research and traversal of the city, I came across a parcel of land that could be subdivided into a neighborhood. Corbett and Butler, a 2 acre lot, is located in the vicinity of several educational, retail, and restaurant facilities. Additionally, given its location, this site is relatively affordable, has an extremely low crime rate, and has a great deal of accessibility to schools within the area (within 5 miles away).

(My apologies for the lack of pictures, most of the links in this category are data based.)

For raising a family, I consider the area in which the kids will grow up to be just as important as the house. I designated my site to be just off of Corbett and Butler, a neighborhood that provides a number of benefits to the residents. For parents and their children, both Dean Allen Elementary School and Northwest Career and Technical Academy are just within miles of the site, and would provide a low impact means of transportation between home and school. Corbett and Butler Street is also located very closely to the Centennial Retail Center, and since Retail and Restaurant services are among the top hiring jobs in Las Vegas, if needed, parents could be employed close to home.

In terms of the house itself, I plan to stick with a floor-plan that provides easy access to all points of the home, and opens up the space to make it feel larger psychologically than in reality (see sketches below). A small home is necessary to fall within the budget provided, but I hope to incorporate several bedrooms as well in order to promote the growth of a family.

I found that SIPs (structural insulated panels) and Metal Roofing are two systems that could greatly improve the overall energy efficiency and quality of my building as well. Although both require a larger initial build cost, they save thousands of dollars over time by retaining heat and cooling. Additionally, laminate flooring and countertops are both inexpensive solutions to very expensive necessities. For their price, both are aesthetically pleasing, durable, low maintenance, and long lasting in comparison to their more expensive counterparts, and provide consumers with a less costly form of quality.

My original goal in the development of this home was to provide median income families with a house that not only fits within their budget, but is something they can be proud of and comfortable living in as well. By taking advantage of cheaper material alternatives and creating an open, central design, I feel that I have accomplished this. Although the SIPs and Metal Roofing I've used would cost more to integrate initially, in terms of power, they are huge energy and money savers and would provide the family with a long lasting, durable, low maintenance structure.

I've also chosen an area that's located near educational, retail, and restaurant facilities in a neighborhood with a very low crime rate. I hope that in selecting this, any parents that dream of having a family will, one day, have the opportunity to do so, and know their children are safe.