Thoughtfully Designed for Real Life
The Orchard Shire is the first community concept of Starter Home Initiative, designed around a simple idea: homeownership can be more attainable when homes are modest, land is used thoughtfully and community is built into the design.
Each cottage is designed to provide the comfort and privacy of a traditional home while reducing unnecessary square footage and creating more room for gardens, shared green space, walking paths and places to connect.
The Maple
The Maple is our most compact cottage model, designed for individuals, couples and smaller households who want a comfortable home without unnecessary space.
One bedroom is located on the main floor, while the open loft provides a second bedroom above. The vaulted living area helps the cottage feel light and spacious while keeping the overall footprint efficient.
The Evergreen
The Evergreen adds flexibility while maintaining an intentionally modest footprint.
Two bedrooms are located on the main floor, while the smaller loft can be used as an office, reading area, hobby space or occasional guest space. The additional powder room provides extra convenience for everyday living.
The Summit
The Summit is designed for households that genuinely need additional sleeping space while still wanting a modest, efficient home.
Two smaller bedrooms are located on the main floor, with a larger loft bedroom above. The result is a three-bedroom cottage that provides room for a growing household without expanding into the footprint of a conventional oversized home.
Need More Room for Your Family?
Not every household has the same needs. While our cottage homes are intentionally modest in size, larger families and multigenerational households may need additional bedrooms.
Future cottage layouts may include three or four bedroom configurations when household size requires additional sleeping space, while still maintaining an efficient and thoughtfully designed footprint.
At Starter Home Initiative, a larger home is not intended to mean unused rooms or unnecessary square footage. It means using additional space thoughtfully when the people living in the home genuinely need it.
Our goal is to grow the community rather than simply build bigger houses, creating more homes, more opportunities for ownership and stronger neighborhoods.
More Than a Collection of Homes
The Orchard Shire is designed so the homes are part of something larger. Cottage homes are arranged around shared green space, gardens and community amenities, creating opportunities for neighbors to connect while maintaining the privacy and independence of their own homes.
Shared Green Space
Landscaped common areas and walking paths create places to gather, relax and enjoy the outdoors.
Community Garden
Raised beds, herbs, berries, fruit trees and vegetables support food growing, sustainability and shared learning.
Community Space & Greenhouse
A shared gathering space with an attached greenhouse provides opportunities to cook, gather, learn and connect.
Building More Than a Community
The Orchard Shire is the vision. Starter Home Initiative is the organization working to make it possible. Learn more about how the organization is being developed, how the community could operate and the people and partnerships needed to help bring the first Orchard Shire to life.
LEARN ABOUT OUR ORGANIZATIONOur dream isn’t bigger houses. It’s deeper roots, stronger connections and a more sustainable way to live.