– Barry Bialik has been building homes in Asheville for nearly two decades, but his journey began in Seattle, where he witnessed the rise of cottage-style subdivisions. “There are tons of them in the Pacific Northwest,” he said, “and I thought small cottage homes would be a great fit in Asheville.” Since then, Bialik has constructed more than 300 homes in the region, focusing on modern, efficient cottages that bridge the gap between tiny homes and traditional houses.
Compact Cottages feature modern exteriors, slanted metal roofs, bamboo and wood flooring, and open layouts designed for space efficiency. “We build every home with maximum efficiency in mind,” he explained, noting that plumbing and mechanical systems run along just one side of the home to allow for exposed wood beams on the other. With mini-split heat pumps for climate control, there’s no need for ductwork. Home sizes range from 480 to 1,600 square feet, comparable to mid-century homes. Unlike manufactured homes, Compact Cottages are stick-built but incorporate prefabricated components. “All the LEGO pieces,” as Bialik calls them, are made at Compact Cottages’ Fletcher factory and assembled on-site, allowing homes to be completed in just a few days. Compact Cottages also offers Escape Pods, small accessory dwelling units (ADUs) with a bed, bath, and kitchenette that can be assembled in a day.
Bialik’s focus on affordability balances the mission of Compact Cottages with his other business in town, Thirsty Monk. “Our goal is to build homes that Thirsty Monk-level employees can afford. It’s really hard in this town to do that right now. It used to be much easier before land prices skyrocketed,” he said. Unlike custom builders, Bialik follows a “Costco model,” meaning that rather than offering numerous custom choices, the company has curated the best-quality kitchen, electrical, and plumbing fixtures for the price point.
While Compact Cottages has made homeownership more accessible, land prices remain a barrier. A home with site work starts at $220,000, but Asheville’s land costs of $125,000 per acre and up make affordability very difficult. Bialik, who served as chair of Asheville’s Affordable Housing Committee for six years, became involved when he discovered that affordable housing rebates weren’t “reaching” certain builders. “We changed the rule so homebuilders could actually get a small subsidy credit. It was a great tool for a few years, and then the city did away with that whole rebate a few years later. Oh, well.”
Bialik argues that making houses affordable requires more than just subsidies; it also needs zoning and code reform. “A lot of people think affordable housing only comes from subsidies, but it also needs construction efficiencies and better policies.” For two years, he has worked with Asheville city government on zoning regulation amendments to help reduce land costs by opening up more small lot options, such as flag-lot and cottage developments. “We were really close to making it happen, and then last week, city council punted it again,” he said. “For the fourth time.” Meanwhile, he’s pursuing similar changes in Hendersonville, where he expects quicker results. He also points to Durham, where zoning reforms in 2021 have led to more affordable housing. Beyond local efforts, Bialik collaborates with the Asheville Home Builders Association and other groups to advocate for state-level policy changes. A recent victory reclassified duplexes, triplexes, and quadplexes as residential instead of commercial, making them easier and cheaper to build.
Compact Cottages also developed Relief Cottages, rapid-assembly small homes designed for Hurricane Helene survivors. These expandable units can be erected in about an hour, but regulatory barriers have slowed implementation. “Building code and zoning laws make it difficult,” he said, “but we are focused on getting these small homes built despite all these challenges. These are not sheds or trailers or temporary living solutions. Relief Cottages are built as small seed homes that serve as a home for now and can be added onto later.”
Bialik’s work isn’t just about building homes; it’s about changing how Asheville and the region approach housing. From prefabrication to zoning reform, he continues to push for solutions that make homeownership more attainable. “The need is there,” he said. “Now, it’s about making the system work and challenging leaders to be bold and take much-needed action.” For more information, visit www.compactcottages.com.