I think in terms of thoroughness and an interesting/clever approach, Kevin Harrington’s 8′ by 8′ by 8′ cabin layout was tops.
His also seemed to get the most by way of response and praise from others as well.
I actually liked aspects of ALL of the submissions, truly, (Remi, Rachel, and the rest, all had some great ideas!) but it was so close between Kevin Harrington and Hunter that I’d also like to mail Hunter a copy of Gerald Rowan’s “Compact Cabins”, and the limited-press TINY version of Lloyd Kahn’s “Tiny Homes, Simple Shelters”.
But Kevin Harrington, congratulations!….I’ll mail you a copy of my book “Humble Homes, Simple Shacks”, a copy of “Eco-House”, Shelton’s Davis’ “Adirondack Pallet Chair” pack, and the long-sleeve work shirt from The Jamaica Cottage Shop of Vermont.
This contest was a lot of fun to put together and judge, and perhaps Alex and I can work on another one soon….
-Derek “Deek” Diedricksen
P.S. If you want to make it to my upcoming hands on workshop near Boston, MA it’s this November 2-4, 2012 where we’re building two structures… One 8x8x8 cabin and a micro shelter on a trailer as well! Click here for more information if you’re interested in attending.
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Over the years we’ve all been watching as Austin Hay began building his own mortgage-free tiny house.
He started when he was a freshman in high school when he was just 15 years old. Austin had only taken one woodworking class before.
Besides that, he had watched his dad build a home so he really didn’t have that much experience with carpentry. Now in his senior year in high school, he’s finishing up his 130-square-foot dream home on wheels.
Kirsten Dirksen of Faircompanies.com has put together yet another video for all of us to enjoy. You’ll get to listen to Austin as he explains all of the features of his tiny home and I’m glad to announce that the house is nearly 100% complete.
“It feels great every day that I accomplish something. Even just a simple ladder,” says Austin.
Using a portable indoor heater, his little house heats up in about an hour during the winter. He plans on using two propane tanks: one for his water heater and the other for the heater.
Throughout the entire project, he’s been collecting the trash generated from it and it’s added up to just three and a half garbage cans of disposal. Not bad when you consider the national average of 8,000 pounds of garbage generated from the construction of a 2,000 square foot home.
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I encourage you to watch the complete tour below: [continue reading…]
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By Laura LaVoie
I had a couple of things I was thinking about writing for Tiny House Talk this week, but every time I started typing the words just weren’t pouring out as I had hoped. So I thought I would just tell you a little bit about what it has been like living in our tiny house since May of this year.
There was a lot of anticipation when it came to moving into our tiny house. Because of our circumstances, it took us three years to build the house itself. We also had to take care of some things from our old life before we could move into our new one. The biggest change for me came by quitting my full time job. Even though I was very much ready for a change and quite burned out on my job in general, it is still terrifying to leave behind that kind of stability for the unknown. I had worked with everyone for 8 years and it was tough leaving that family behind regardless of opportunities that I faced by moving on.
Reducing my living expenses was the most important thing that I could do to be able to make this transition. Without utility bills and rent I don’t have to make as much money to keep up with my other bills and expenses. It is a rewarding feeling.
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There are lots of things I have learned about myself moving to our tiny house on the mountain:
- I can live independently. I wasn’t sure how this whole freelance writing thing was going to go. And don’t get me wrong, I am not independently wealthy by any means. But I am happy to say that I’m doing pretty well. I didn’t want to work for someone else anymore so I was able to make that change. I am a better person because of it.
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8×8 Tiny House Design Contest Submission by Anthony
To keep things simple, the house would be 8 feet by 8 feet. Having lived in Michigan most of my life and hoping to someday moved back by finding a patch of land and building an off the grid shack starts to complicate things.
Michigan winters are long and COLD, so the walls of this house would be 6 inches thick instead of the regular 4. This not only helps with the temperature, but also the weight of snow that would build up on the mostly flat roof.
For this house, I would start with a insulated cement slab elevated 3 inches off the ground level. Then I would build an 11 foot south wall, 10’6″ north wall, angled east and west walls, and a 9 inch thick roof consisting of 2×8’s, plywood, and rubber pond liner.
The entire structure would be insulated with spray foam and interior walls would be Kydex. Also, due to the amount of snowfall in Michigan, the door has to swing inward, and the floor in front of the door has to be somewhere you aren’t going to step later if you don’t want wet socks.
To solve this problem and instead of wasting nine square feet like most people would with a three foot wide door and not using the space in front of it, I chose a two foot wide custom made door that opens into the bathroom.
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More 8×8 Tiny House Design Submissions:
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8×8 Tiny House Design Contest Submission by Kevin Harrington of Cozy Home Plans
This 8×8 tiny house design has quite a lot to offer for its size. There’s a couch that converts to a bed with drawer storage underneath.
The ottoman is custom designed to have storage and rollers so you can move it around easily. It’s also the same height as the couch/bed so you can prop your legs up and relax to watch TV.
The closet is 15″ wide and you can easily use this to hang your clothes and use to store other things too. In this design I’d install a rain shower head to avoid splashing into the kitchen.
There’s no cook top just a microwave instead but you might be able to change that if you wanted to. The shower is quite roomy relative to the house at 32″ by 32″.
I designed it so that you can use a portable and lightweight composting toilet for easy removal during showers. Then you can place it behind a curtain for privacy.
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More 8×8 Tiny House Design Submissions:
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Guest Post by Laura Moreland
When I selected the milk chocolate-colored siding for Tiny House Ontario it was not my first choice. I had hoped to go with a sort of grey/green/brown, just like the trunks of the trees that surround my tiny house. I hoped the house would blend right in on the background and disappear from the road, particularly when winter comes and the Carolinian forest around me is leafless. I was disappointed that this shade was only available for industrial grade and therefore more expensive siding. Too much money, and frankly, the work had to be done. I was already a year behind schedule and because of this last year Tiny House Ontario was left naked. This was because the local mill did not have time to cut the cedar siding I ordered. Consequently, the house stuck out like an ugly white Typar version of a bandaged sore thumb.
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This year, early on, I called the mill but again they were too busy with other work, so I canceled and ordered my now third choice option, just to have her all finished.
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8×8 Tiny House Design Contest Submission by Hunter D.
This cabin is an eight foot cube. Length, width, and height are all eight feet.
It is pictured in plywood but could be covered in any material to suit its surroundings. It features a rainwater collection system that gravity feeds the sink and shower.
The kitchen features plenty of counter space and storage. It also has a sink, two stovetops, and a refrigerator.
The living room has couch seating for three people. The dining room has seating for four people.
Such a small space should only be inhabited by one person, so the bedroom only sleeps one. The bathroom has a composting toilet and a spacious stand up shower.
This cabin has everything you need without making it feel too cramped.
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8×8 Tiny House Design Contest Submission by Jordan O.
This was really challenging and fun! Thanks Deek! I’ve attached some sketches to help clarify my ideas -hard to describe things in words only.
Keeping in mind that this challenge is supposed to be in the $700 – $800 price range to build, I figured you weren’t including electricity, plumbing or any of that crazy modern technology stuff. Keep it simple. (Though I do offer an option for the jacuzzi, but that would of course send us way over the edge. . . in more ways than one!).
I kept the 8′x 8′ square dimensions for my tiny cabin. It has a shed roof of corrugated tin and is built with mainly plywood again – to keep within your targeted expense range. The front door is off center to the right on the side where the roof is at it’s tallest. As you walk in there is a tiny “kitchen” in the far right corner that uses a water dispenser for washing and drinking. Cooking can be done with a propane camp stove – though I would suggest it be done outside. A cooler would be the refrigeration.
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More 8×8 Tiny House Design Submissions:
“Click” to view larger version
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8×8 Tiny House Design Contest Submission by Remi
My basic parameters:
- Actual full time living space for one person, year round.
- Electricity available – solar, grid, or generator. (If not, add an awning and cook outdoors. Hopefully, you live in a mild climate.)
- 8’ x 8’ concrete pad, 6” thick walls, 7’ x 7’ interior space
[All measurements given in HWD order]
80” x 30” exterior door centered in S wall, swings in and to the left.
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Counter-clockwise from the door:
More 8×8 Tiny House Design Submissions:
E wall-
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