Architecture firm Office of Jonathan Tate has designed a tall, narrow dwelling in Louisiana that offers a new approach towards entry-level homes in America.
The project ? Starter Home No 1, 3106 St Thomas ? is located in New Orleans' Irish Channel neighbourhood, which runs alongside the Mississippi River. It is the first completed dwelling in a programme aimed at increasing opportunities for people to own their first home.

Launched by local firm Office of Jonathan Tate ? often referred to as OJT ? the Starter Home program is focused on building entry-level homes on "overlooked" urban properties. Rather than using a cookie-cutter approach, the programme aims to tailor each home's design to its specific site conditions and the programmatic needs of prospective buyers. Moreover, the homes are meant to respond to environmental concerns and to embody a "right-sized" approach to living.
The firm envisions the dwellings being built without government subsidies. Instead, projects would be financed through a genuine collaboration between developer, builder and architect.
OJT believes that the Starter Home programme can help promote economic diversity in neighbourhoods, particularly those experiencing gentrification. The "starter home" has long been an important facet of the American housing market, but it has faded in recent years due to the escalating cost of home ownership.

"The Starter Home programme is fundamentally about using inventive ...