For over a decade, several architecture students at Auburn University have worked on a nearly impossible problem. How do you design a home that someone living below the poverty line can afford, but that anyone would want–while also providing a living wage for the local construction team that builds it?

　　10多年以来，奥本大学的几个建筑系学生一直在探讨一个几乎不可能解决的问题：如何设计一套生活在贫困线以下的人能买得起，而且每个人都想买，同时能为当地建筑队提供基本生活工资的房子?

　　In January, after years of building prototypes, the team finished their first pilot project in the real world. Partnering with a commercial developer outside Atlanta, in a tiny community called Serenbe, they built two one-bedroom houses, with materials that cost just $14,000 each.

　　经过了几年的模型构建之后，在一月份，这个团队完成了他们在现实世界中的第一个试点项目。他们与亚特兰大以外的一个开发商合作，在一个被称为Serenbe的小社区建造了两套一居室的房子，而且每套房子的物料成本仅为14000美元。

　　完整的设想图：

　　These architecture students and their advisors have spent more than a hundred thousand hourstweaking each detail of the house to optimize both the function and the price.

　　这些建筑系的学生及他们的导师用了10万多个小时微调房子的每一个细节以优化其功能和价格。

　　The foundation of the house uses cantilevers , seesaw-like joists that help save wood and concrete and actually make the house stronger than a typical foundation would.

　　这套房子用悬臂以及像跷跷板一样的托梁打地基以便节省木材和混凝土，而且它们实际上会使房子的地基比一般的房子更结实。

　　But they also realized there were numerous issues, from dealing with insurance, to the bank. In a typical case, when someone is buying the house on a limited income and can't afford the $20,000, banks won't finance a mortgage for such a small amount of money.

　　不过，他们也意识到从处理保险到银行(贷款)等相关事宜存在很多问题。一个典型的例子就是，当某个收入有限且拿不出20000美元的人要买这套房子的时候，银行不会为这么点钱就为他提供房屋抵押贷款。

　　Originally, the project aimed for a house that would cost $20,000 in total, including construction, though they now believe that more money may be needed to provide a living wage for builders. They’ve rejected the idea of using factory-made prefab parts, because one of the main goals is to also provide jobs.

　　最初，这个项目的目标是建这套房子的成本(包括施工费)一共20000美元，不过如今他们认为要为建筑工人提供基本生活工资，建这套房子可能需要更多的钱。他们否决了使用工厂制造的组合式部件，因为这个项目的主要目标之一还要为大家提供工作。

　　Still, whatever the final cost, it will be cheap. And if someone wants to put it together themselves, it would cost less than $20,000.

　　不论最终成本是多少，它还是便宜的。如果有人想自己组装，其成本可能还会低于20000美元。