It was supposed to be emergency housing for victims of Hurricane Katrina. Small, 300-square foot residences to get people suffering in the aftermath of the storm get out of FEMA trailers and into houses that looked and felt more like homes.

But a funny thing happened on the way to the construction site. The so-called Katrina Cottages became hot items not just for storm victims, but for a lot of people who liked the idea of housing that offers more, with less.

Marianne Cusato created the design for the Katrina Cottages, and she'll be the keynote speaker at the Efficiency Vermont Better Buildings By Design Conference being held tomorrow.

Cusato explains how an emergency project turned into a housing phenomenon:

Click listen to hear the entire interview.