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DIY Tiny House Construction Project

Meet Collin and Joanna. On June 6th, 2010 they took a serious step by purchasing a trailer for their own tiny Tumbleweed Fencl house.

By this time they are well on their way to many of our dreams… Their very own tiny house on wheels.

They have their own (awesome) blog where they are sharing the experience on the construction of their tiny house. So make sure to add it to your favorites!

Recently they have posted up lots of pictures for us to look at and I wanted to be sure you knew about their tiny house adventure! The photos feature the foundation on their trailer and some of the framing on the house. Stop by their blog and say hello!

Young Couple Build Their Own Tumbleweed Tiny House
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Interior of Garage Studio Apartment

This garage was converted into a minimalist studio by Seattle-based SHED Architecture & Design. Right away you will notice the simple kitchen, built in bookshelves, and a perfectly nestled loft bed.

Plus a corner desk, living space with coffee table, and plenty of natural lighting because of all the windows.

One unique feature is the closet tucked into what seems to be the ladder to get up into the sleeping loft. This place has a wonderful homey feel to it and packs everything you need with elegance and all within 320 square feet.

It also looks like the bathroom is there almost as open space (near the desk area) which is the side you would use to climb up into the bed loft.

320 sf garage conversion whole interior

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Coast Modern is about breaking down the barriers between indoor and outdoor space in homes.

They are not particularly tiny but they are beautifully designed and great for families.

Filmmakers Michael Bernard and Gavin Froome explore architecture from 1922 up to the now.

Great video for those of you interested in modern architecture.

I would love to see more small modern structures with the same design principles demonstrated here.

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I ran into this today on Huffington Post.  It was published a couple days ago on July 7 2010:  Robyn Griggs Lawrence: Size Matters: Americans Moving to Smaller Homes.  The announcement is that according to the American Institute of Architects Home Design Trends Survey houses are getting smaller.  So I looked for the survey and here’s what it says.

The report’s title reads While Home and Lot Sizes are Still Shrinking, Property Enhancements Remain Popular. It’s written by Kermit Baker, American Institute of Architects’ Chief Economist.  House and lot sizes are decreasing.  Outdoor living space is becoming more popular while things like expensive landscaping, water fountains, and other expensive improvements.

According to the survey, most of the residential architects reported experiencing a decrease in home sizes.  Both entry level and upscale houses showed a decrease in size.

Here is something I found interesting…

Households are looking for more flexibility in their smaller homes, and as such open space layouts are growing in popularity. Traditional single-function rooms such as formal dining rooms or living rooms are less popular, being replaced by rooms that can serve multiple purposes for the household.

In summary this report states that current trends are leading towards smaller spaces, more outdoorsy designs, and an increased demand in multipurpose areas.  Then there are tiny houses which are not directly talked about in this report.

I think most homeowners have not realized that tiny houses on trailers are an opportunity to build a $20,000 really small guest house without having to pay expensive permits–as long as RVs are allowed to be parked on the property.  You could rent it or live in it while you rent your other house and live as if you were mortgage free.

Ideas for discussion: How much do you think a tiny house would rent for where you live?  Have any of you ever toyed with the idea of buying a normal house where you can park and live in the tiny house while collecting rent from the larger one?  If that’s not a possibility for you then what about building a tiny house to rent or to have an inexpensive guest house?

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Read the Huffington Post Article Here

Read the American Institute of Architects 2010 Trends Survey Here

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tiny-mushroom-dome-cabin

This tiny house is one of a kind. It’s a rustic mushroom-shaped cabin in the Aptos in Santa Cruz, California.

It’s beautiful and surrounded by nature. Looks really peaceful. It’s shaded by Oak and Madrone trees and right next to a Redwood grove. The best part of all… You can rent a few nights in it if you wanted to.

Don’t miss other interesting stories like this – join our FREE Tiny House Newsletter for more!

Famous Tiny Mushroom Dome Cabin in Aptos, CA

tiny mushroom dome cabinPhotos courtesy of Kitty and Michael
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Tiny Cabins at Yestermorrow

Yestermorrow Sustainable Building School is located in Warren, Vermont and offers various hands-on courses in sustainable design, construction, woodworking, furniture making, green building, and more. It has been operating as a non-profit organization since 1980.

They offer 1-day to 10-week intense courses taught by top architects, builders, and craftsmen. They also have certificate programs for woodworking, sustainable building and design, and natural building. This is a place I would absolutely LOVE to spend some time in. Here is an example of just some of their course offerings…

  • Green Development Best Practices (3 days)
  • Build an Earthen Oven (2 days)
  • Home Design/Build (12 days)
  • Solar Design (2 days)
  • Green Remodeling (2 days)
  • Community Design/Build (12 days)
  • Put the Fab Back in Pre-Fab (5 days)
  • Wind Power (1 day)
  • Green Building Materials (2 days)

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Rural Studio is a housing project at Auburn University. Here’s a little bit about this particular project, the 20k House (Version 2).

The Outreach Program was conceived as a way to bring outside students and collaborators into the fold of the Rural Studio. It has evolved from individualized non-architectural projects to a team project. The Outreach students are embedded in the Thesis Studio and work to further the 20K House. One of the most challenging of all Rural Studio projects, it deals with the question: what kind of house can be designed for $10,000 in materials when the other $10,000 goes for labor costs and profit? Approximately four Outreach positions are available each year. Applications are accepted until the positions are filled. More information and an application is available to download.
~Outreach Program, Rural Studio, Auburn University

The goal of the $20K house studio is to bridge barriers in affordable federal housing programs. Architecture students get to develop home plans that can be built by local contractors to serve rural residents who have low or modest incomes and are unable to obtain housing through conventional financing.

Don’t miss other incredible stories like this, join our FREE Tiny House Newsletter for more! 

Frank’s $20k Tiny House by Rural Studio

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In 1974 Ken Isaacs published a book called How to build your own Living Structures.  The book is a guide on how to make unique interiors, storage units, and… a microhouse.  Isaacs created and designed this modular shelter which is flexible in a way where you can separate and divide it into tiny sections inside.  His book provides step by step instructions with plans for different versions of the micro house.

Recently in Central Glasgow, Lanarkshire, UK a micro house based on Isaacs’ design was featured at the Hotel Gilchrist Exhibition.  Check it out.

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