The 'Katrina Cottage' For Sale At Lowes?

"The Katrina cottage - with living quarters about the size of a McMansion bathroom - is now appealing to people well beyond the flood plain. Californians want to build one in their backyards to use for rental income to help with the mortgage payment. Modestly paid kayakers in Colorado see it as a way to finally afford a house. Elsewhere, people envision building one so a parent can live nearby." (From the Christian Science Monitor)

"Lowe's Cos., the second-largest U.S. home-improvement retailer after Home Depot Inc., will sell the plans and materials for a neotraditional Katrina Cottage at about 30 stores in Louisiana and Mississippi beginning in November. The announcement comes after Marianne Cusato, a New York designer, struck a deal with the Mooresville, N.C., company to market her concept." (From the Wall Street Journal)

"Inspired by the Sears, Roebuck and Co. catalog homes of the early 20th century, a group of designers led by Marianne Cusato has teamed with Lowe's Cos. to market build-it-yourself houses in the Gulf Coast region. The homes, called 'Katrina Cottages,' are a response to the demand for new housing after last year's devastating hurricanes. Ranging in size from 544 to 936 square feet, the two-bedroom dwellings will be delivered in phases to buyers in Mississippi and Louisiana, beginning in the fall, Lowe's announced yesterday." (From Building Design+Construction)

"The homes were developed by New York designer Marianne Cusato, along with several leading architects. Shortly after the storm struck the Gulf Coast, Cusato began campaigning for weather resistant, low-cost housing to help rebuilding efforts in the affected areas. In January, she displayed a prototype of the cottage at the International Builders Show in Orlando, Fla." (From The News & Observer)

"Now the designer has made a deal with Lowes to sell packages of plans and materials in four different designs ranging from 544 to 936 square feet, that will cost from $ 25,000 to $ 50,000. Good for floods (no drywall) and winds up to 140 miles an hour. Selling at Lowes may not sound like a big deal, but in fact is a huge step in the prefab business- a major mainstream retailer selling architect-designed, well resolved solutions at reasonable prices." (TreeHugger)