Micro-Home

The MICRO MILL concept was derived from the idea of re-use. With the U.S. manufacturing industry increasingly becoming an imported good and service, domestic mill buildings left abandoned are being adapted into various typologies of mixed-use structures. But what of the buildings that don't make the cut? Our perspective is embodied in our design proposal for the Bee Breeders’ MICROHOME competition (2020). We propose recycling materials from the unused mill buildings to build tiny homes within a local urban context, in this case, Lowell Massachusetts, that embody the rich history of American manufacturing and the resiliency and structural integrity of the mills throughout the city. With recycled brick and concrete, we created a concept that not only speaks to the essence of industrialism but provides a home that reduces our lifestyles footprint and will stand against the rising threat of climate change. Located on the edge of a historic canal which transported thousands of pounds of goods and people at one point, MICRO MILL finds a new use for the canal in the form of an active waterwheel. By creating its own energy from an on-site natural resource, MICRO MILL achieves a level of energy independence from the wider grid. Rather than relegate this water wheel to a hidden mechanical area, we embrace the history and design of the water wheel and make it a centerpiece in the design with living spaces creating a secondary space along the canal front.