In Dorchester, a housing experiment is quietly reshaping the way some Bostonians think about affordability, space and community.

Vivian and Elisa Girard, a local couple with deep roots in Fields Corner, have completed a 14-unit micro-apartment building designed to offer low-cost housing in a city where affordability is increasingly out of reach. Their project, part of Boston’s Compact Living Pilot Program, allows for smaller-than-standard studios — each around 280 square feet.

Stream NBC10 Boston news for free, 24/7, wherever you are. WATCH HERE

“It’s not everybody’s idea of a dream home,” Vivian Girard said. “But the goal, really, the ultimate goal, was to keep it affordable.”

The Girards spent four years building the structure themselves, pouring the foundation with hired help and

See Full Page