Hometta: A Collaborative for Designers of (Relatively) Small, Modern Homes

Last month, Hometta, a new, online source of home plans, rolled out more than two dozen single-family-home designs that had been provided by a like number of architectural studios. Most of the studios are based in the U.S., although the work of architects in Chile, China, and Germany also is represented.

The unifying themes in these designs are modern lines, sustainability, and (relatively) low square footage. The floor plans cap at 2,500 sq. ft. and range in price from $1,195 for a studio-size house to $3,195 for a three-bedroom.

Access to renderings and floor plans is free. Those who want to dig deeper into the planning and construction processes can buy an annual subscription to the Hometta Construction Guide for $9.95. Those who are committed to building a particular design can buy a "Build" subscription ($19.95 a month or $99.95 a year), which includes full access to the chosen plan set and five guest-login accounts for builders and other contractors who may be bidding on the project.

The homes on the Hometta site are touted by the company for their sustainable design and materials, which include hydronic heating and cooling, passive ventilation, and planted or solar-paneled "sides."

Hometta’s co-founders, Mark Johnson and Andrew McFarland, have joined forces with four architecture studios – all with offices in Houston, where Hometta is based – to recruit other design firms interested in offering plans for homes that, while not on the scale of those typically sought by the firms’ core clientele, still offer structural and visual features that set them apart from those of many stock plans. In addition to the four design studios in Houston, 20 other firms are participating in the Hometta project.

“Hometta is offering modern home plans from sought-after designers at affordable prices,” Johnson says in a company press release. “We believe great design should not be limited to a small, elite market."