Scott Shapiro of Eagle Rock Ventures sent the following letter to Department of Planning and Development (DPD) and City Council staff on proposals from DPD to regulate sinks in microhouisng. I’ve written about the strange obsession that some people on Council and others have about sinks (I called it social plumbing). This is a good technical break down of why the idea of micromanaging sinks makes no sense. 

The Director’s Report and Recommendation for Micro-housing Units and Congregate Residences, Proposed Action #5 intends to limit kitchen components in individual micros and sleeping rooms to differentiate from dwelling units. This proposal would disallow plumbed sinks from being placed within the bedroom portion of the micro – requiring that the plumbed sink be placed in the bathroom enclosure.

Plumbed sinks outside of the bathroom enclosure are not particular to solely micro-housing projects. We have found numerous case studies in which plumbed sinks are placed outside of the bathroom enclosure for the intent of a better functioning space and/or a better designed space. Our research proves that numerous building types, including single-family, multi-family, dormitory, and hospitality projects, place sinks outside of building enclosures. Liberty University places their sink outside of the bathroom enclosure of their 2 bedroom units (photo attached on following page). The sink is placed outside of the bedroom doors and is separate from the toilet/bath enclosure. Numerous hotel room prototypes, as seen in the Yotel, Staybridge Suites and the Great Wolf Lodge, place the sink outside of the bathroom enclosure to deal better with the functionality of the compactness of the room.

As a building owner, we care about the quality of space we provide our tenants. For a tenant who is an artist or a painter, the benefit of having a sink within their living space is compelling. It is placed nearby so that they’ll be able to quickly clean their paint brush as they continue to work on their piece. This small example shows the functional benefit of our current floor plans in our units.

Given the inherit complexities of designing successful and functional living spaces with a small footprint, we recommend that DPD review reassess its Proposed Action #5. This recommendation regulates a design and functionality issue that has possess no threat to public health or fire and life safety. The ability to provide our tenants with a sink outside of the bathroom enclosure allows them more flexibility to meet their unique needs within their living quarters.