Blessed Homes Rentals

Sources

Every figure and design spec on this site, with where it came from. Published sources link to the original. Design specs come from our own drawings, which are not published.

Published figures

Design specs

2-plex

  • Building footprint 44 ft by 17 ft 6 in, outside the walls: 770 square feet in all

  • About 252 square feet per studio, inside the walls

  • Walls: 2x6 framing with R-20 batts, plus 1 inch of foam (R-3.9) on the outside

  • One vinyl window per studio, in the front wall, with low-E glass, U-0.30 (heat loss rating; lower is better)

  • Insulated steel entry door, 36 by 80 inches

  • One 50-gallon electric water heater for each studio, on that studio’s own meter

  • Status. Drawings for a specific lot and a permit are still needed.

4-plex

  • Building footprint 44 ft by 30 ft, outside the walls: 1,320 square feet in all

  • About 252 square feet per studio, inside the walls

  • Partitions rated to resist fire for one hour, between homes and along the central strip

  • One 50-gallon electric water heater for each studio, on that studio’s own meter

  • Gutters and downspouts included

  • Status. Drawings are for pricing and design development only. They are not for permit or construction. A licensed architect or engineer must complete and seal them.

8-plex, two stories

  • Building footprint 44 ft by 30 ft, outside the walls: 1,320 square feet a floor, 2,640 square feet on the two floors

  • A 5 ft walkway runs along each long side of the second floor, with a stair at the end, so allow at least 45 ft by 40 ft of ground for the building, walkways and stairs

  • First floor: about 270 square feet per home, including bath, kitchen and closet

  • Second floor: about 300 square feet per home

  • 1-hour fire-rated floor and ceiling between the two floors

  • Gable roof of engineered trusses, with standing-seam metal

  • One 50 gallon electric water heater for each home

  • Every home has its own front door and one window, in the front wall. Upstairs, that window is sized as an emergency escape window. The building official still has to confirm this layout.

  • Status. Preliminary design. A licensed structural engineer and architect must complete it before any permit. A soil test, local zoning approval and final engineering are still needed.

Key drawing specs

  • Windows

    One per studio, in the front wall: vinyl single-hung, low-E glass, U-0.30 (heat loss rating; lower is better)

  • Exterior walls

    2x6 framing, R-20 batts, and 1 inch of foam (R-3.9) on the outside

  • Attic

    R-38 blown cellulose

  • Entry door

    Insulated steel, 36 by 80 inches

  • Fire separation

    1-hour fire-rated walls between homes

  • Bath ventilation

    Fan runs all the time, moving 50 cubic feet of air a minute (50 cfm)

  • Heat

    One ductless mini-split heat pump per studio, 12,000 Btu/h, with its indoor unit high on the end wall

  • Water heating

    One 50-gallon electric water heater for each home, on that home’s own meter

  • Utilities

    Each tenant pays for their own electric, on their own 100 amp meter. We pay for water, sewer, trash and internet.

Village and tour

  • Village concept

    We are also designing a village concept: 20 acres with 160 studios around six small greens, and a community center on a plaza. Two parking stalls at the community center have Level 2 EV chargers in the plan. It is a concept on a generic parcel, not tied to a real lot. It is not zoned, approved or for permit.

  • 3D tour

    Walk through the village concept and each of our buildings in 360 degree views, inside and out. The interactive 3D model of the village is still here too. It works best on a laptop or desktop, and it needs an internet connection.

  • Renders

    All images are concept renders, not photographs of built work.

Inside a studio in 360

  • 360 views

    Four 360 degree views of one furnished studio, built from our current 4-plex drawings. Drag to look around, then tap a marker to move to the next spot.

  • 360 views

    These are concept renders, not photographs. No home is built yet. The furniture and the small touches (books, dishes, towels, plants) are staging.

  • 360 views

    The view through the window is the village concept, a design idea that is not tied to a real lot.

  • Entry and living area

    Concept render, not a photograph: the entry and living area, seen from just inside the front door. A loveseat and a round table for two sit in the middle of the room, with the TV on the front wall and the kitchen along the back wall. The bed is in the far corner, and the indoor unit of the heat pump hangs high on the end wall.

  • Kitchen

    Concept render, not a photograph: the kitchen along the back wall. White shaker cabinets and a stainless sink, with the range and refrigerator beside them and a microwave over the range. A fruit bowl, a mug, a cutting board and a pot of herbs sit on the counter, with plates and a bowl beside the sink.

  • By the window

    Concept render, not a photograph: the corner by the front window, near the closet and the bed. The front window looks out on a lawn and other concept homes. Beside it is the closet door, and the indoor unit of the heat pump hangs high on the end wall above a framed print, with the bed in the corner.

  • Bath

    Concept render, not a photograph: the bath, with the tub across the back. A tub with a tiled surround and a shower curtain. A wall-hung sink sits under a mirror cabinet beside the toilet.

  • Viewer

    The 360 degree viewer is Pannellum 2.5.7, open source (MIT), loaded from cdnjs.

Our buildings

  • Mini 2-plex

    Two studios side by side under one roof, with a small owner hall behind them for the water heater and the water lines.

  • Mini 2-plex

    The hall runs behind both studios. The fire-rated wall between the homes runs through it, so it is two halves, each with its own door from outside.

  • Mini 2-plex

    Each half holds one studio’s 50 gallon electric water heater, on that studio’s own meter, and its cold and hot water manifolds with shutoffs.

  • Mini 2-plex

    Each half has its own mini-split heat pump on the house meter, with a 1,000 watt baseboard heater set at 45 degrees as a backup.

  • Mini 2-plex

    The hall heat is separate from the studios’ heat, so the water heaters and the water lines stay warm whatever the tenants set.

  • Mini 2-plex

    We plan to keep that heat on all winter, so the water heaters and the water lines never freeze.

  • Mini 2-plex

    The studio is the same plan in both one-story buildings. The studio views are of a 4-plex studio in the village concept: its bath door is 36 inches wide (32 in the 2-plex), and the fire extinguisher by the front door is a 4-plex item.

  • 4-plex

    Four studios, two on each side of a central owner spine that holds the water heaters and the water lines.

  • 4-plex

    The spine runs the length of the building between the studios, with an owner door at each end. It is not a room for tenants.

  • 4-plex

    Four 50 gallon electric water heaters stand along one wall, one for each studio on that studio’s own meter, in two pairs with a floor drain between each pair for their drain pans.

  • 4-plex

    Each studio has its own cold and hot water manifolds with shutoffs, fed only by its own heater. The one washer hookup is cold water only.

  • 4-plex

    A mini-split heat pump on the house meter heats the spine, with a 1,000 watt baseboard heater set at 45 degrees as a backup. Our drawings tell the owner to keep the spine heated, because the water service comes up inside it.

  • 4-plex

    The studio views are of a studio in a 4-plex in the village concept.

  • 8-plex, two stories

    Eight homes on two floors. It is a preliminary design.

  • 8-plex, two stories

    Our preliminary notes put the utilities in an owner spine down the middle of the first floor.

  • 8-plex, two stories

    Each home has its own 50 gallon electric water heater on its own electric panel, and its own manifold of hot and cold water lines.

  • 8-plex, two stories

    The second floor has no hallway. Its plumbing and panels drop into the spine below.

  • 8-plex, two stories

    The spine has its own mini-split heat pump, on the house meter.

  • 8-plex, two stories

    The spine view puts each item where the preliminary drawings and our October 21, 2026 notes place it. They place no lights or water service, so the two ceiling lights are added only so the room can be seen, and the cold water line is drawn overhead as a sketch.

  • Hall views

    The plumbing plan shows where each pipe runs, not how high. The lines over the hall are drawn at ceiling height for the picture; the lines to each studio run below the floor slab.

  • Owner hall

    Concept render, not a photograph: the owner hall behind the 2-plex studios. A 50 gallon water heater in a drain pan, a cold water line overhead, a board of red and blue water lines for one studio and the house panel. Toward the far end are a mini-split heat pump high on the wall and a baseboard heater.

  • Owner spine, middle

    Concept render, not a photograph: the middle of the 4-plex owner spine. Four 50 gallon water heaters in drain pans, one for each studio, in two pairs with a floor drain between each pair, red and blue water lines on the walls, and a mini-split heat pump high on the wall at the far end.

  • Owner spine, washer hookup

    Concept render, not a photograph: the 4-plex owner spine beside the washer hookup. The washer hookup, cold water only, in a short chase on the spine wall between the two pairs of water heaters, with the spine’s mini-split heat pump and its backup baseboard heater toward the east end.

  • Owner spine, west door

    Concept render, not a photograph: the west end of the 4-plex owner spine, by the owner door. The owner door, the house panel on the end wall and the water service coming up through the floor.

  • Owner spine

    Concept render, not a photograph: the 8-plex owner spine, drawn from the preliminary notes. Eight water heaters in drain pans along one wall, one for each home, each with a board of red and blue water lines above it, the unit panels on the facing wall and an owner door at each end.

The 360 tour

  • Entrance

    Concept render, not a photograph: the west entrance to the village concept, from the public road. A lane leading in from the road between lawns and young trees, with the homes farther in.

  • Drone view

    Concept render, not a photograph: the village concept from about 50 meters up. The village concept from above: rows of one-story homes around small greens, with lanes, parking, trees and open fields around the site.

  • Pocket green

    Concept render, not a photograph: a pocket green in the village concept, at eye level. A lawn crossed by walks, with one-story homes facing it on each side, a tree, a bench and a lamp post.

  • Community plaza

    Concept render, not a photograph: by the community plaza. The community center is only a design idea so far. A brick community building with a covered pavilion beside it, a lawn, a sidewalk and parked cars.

  • Back lane

    Concept render, not a photograph: a back lane in the village concept. A paved lane with cars parked in front of one-story homes, a grass strip and trees on the far side, and an open field beyond.

  • 2-plex, front

    Concept render, not a photograph: outside the 2-plex, by the front walk. The one-story 2-plex from its front walk, with an entry door for each studio, on its own lawn.

  • 2-plex, owner side

    Concept render, not a photograph: the 2-plex owner door on the end wall. The end wall of the 2-plex with the owner door to the hall, its step and outdoor light, the outdoor unit of a studio’s heat pump, and a parking pad beyond.

  • 4-plex, front

    Concept render, not a photograph: outside the 4-plex, by the entry walk. The one-story 4-plex from its entry walk, with studio doors along the side and parking nearby.

  • 4-plex, owner side

    Concept render, not a photograph: the 4-plex owner door on the end wall. The end wall of the 4-plex with the owner door to the spine, a bank of five electric meters and an outdoor heat pump unit at each corner.

  • 8-plex, front

    Concept render, not a photograph: outside the preliminary 8-plex design, by the walkway. The two-story 8-plex with its second-floor walkway and stair, seen from the walk.

  • 8-plex, owner side

    Concept render, not a photograph: the end wall of the preliminary 8-plex design, by the owner door. The end wall of the 8-plex with the owner door, electric meters and outdoor heating and cooling units.

  • 360 tour

    A 360 degree walk through the village concept and our buildings, inside and out. Drag to look around, tap a marker to move, or pick any spot from the list under the view.

  • 360 tour

    These are concept renders, not photographs. No home is built yet, the village is a concept on a generic site, and the 8-plex is a preliminary design.

  • 360 tour

    The studio views are of a 4-plex studio in the village concept. The 2-plex studio is the same plan.

Mission and area

  • Mission

    Our mission is to build homes people can afford, and to give them a place to call home.

  • Mission

    Homes with low rents are getting harder to find. Two of the figures below show the drop, one across the US and one in Pennsylvania.

  • Mission

    We want to do our part in and around Huntingdon County, with small, simple homes that are easy to keep up. We plan to use stock, off-the-shelf products wherever we can to keep costs down, and we want them built to last.

  • Area

    Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania

Questions

  • When will the homes be built? We have not announced a date. The designs are still in progress, and sites are not final.

  • Where will they be? In and around Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania. Specific sites are not announced yet.

  • What will the rent be? Rent has not been set yet.

  • Can I apply now? No. No homes are built or open for applications yet.

  • Are the designs approved? No. The designs are not approved or permitted yet, and the village is a concept only.

  • How do I hear more? No contact details are listed yet. Check back on this page.

Image credits

  • Car model

    “Volvo S90 Recharge (Free)” by lazercar, on Sketchfab under CC BY 4.0. We changed it for our renders: badges removed, repainted, clean glass.

  • Car models

    “Generic passenger car pack” by Comrade1280, on Sketchfab under CC BY 4.0. We changed it for our renders: split into single cars, repainted, clean glass.

  • Car model

    “Small price car” by Oliv1e, on Sketchfab under CC BY 4.0. We changed it for our renders: scaled, repainted, clean glass, brand marks removed.

  • Plants and textures

    Trees, mulch, bark and ground textures in the renders are from Poly Haven, released as CC0 (no credit required).

Source list