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Archive Reclaimed Space

Archive Reclaimed Space
Guest Post by Tracen Gardner I came up with the idea for Reclaimed Space when I needed a living space on my ranch outside Shiner, Texas. There was no electricity or running water on the site, which is located 15 minutes from the nearest hardware store. I did not want to use all that energy driving back and forth and was concerned with not only with time constraints but also the confusion involved in meeting sub contractors in a remote area. I was afraid of not completing the project in time and that it would take too long to “dry-in” if I worked only on weekends. I decided to build my Reclaimed Space to fit a “shipping envelope.” Since I painted my way through college, I knew where most damage would occur from the sun and rain. Next came style, for years I had collected 100 yrs old material with great appreciation for it’s structural strength, historic value, rich colors and textures. We were received brilliantly. Related:  Inspirations 1

Vista - A Tiny House That Mixes Contemporary Design and Comfort Called Vista, this tiny house is the latest offering from the Wisconsin-based ESCAPE homes. Unlike their other models, which seek to accommodate up to 6 people, the Vista is a much smaller, more “personal home”. Founder of ESCAPE Homes, Dan Dobrowolski, describes their tiny houses as “personal homes” because, “like the personal computer and personal desk assistant, these are truly personal spaces designed to be adaptable to each person’s individual needs.” This is something I can also attest to, as most people who purchase our tiny house plans, tend to customize the them to their own specific needs and wants. The Vista contains a total of 160 square feet (15 square meters), has a length of 20 feet, and weighs just 6,500 pounds. The outside of the house is clad in a mix of vertical cedar siding and CORTENs steel panels. The entrance leads into an open plan living space, featuring the sleeping area/living room, dining space, and kitchen. Via Contemporist Photos: Escape Homes

The eight-room, 420-square-foot studio apartment | The BuzzBuzzHome BlogThe BuzzBuzzHome Blog UPDATE March 21st, 2014: This home can now be yours for just under $1 million. Four hundred and twenty square feet isn’t a ton of space, so the notion that an apartment that size could be any more than a one-bedroom seems a little far fetched. Well, guess what? New York entrepreneur Graham Hill found a way to pack eight rooms into that small an area by designing his Soho studio as a transforming space. “The living room and office become the bedroom with a tug of a bookshelf,” explains a post on Gizmodo.com. “Open one of the closets and you’ll find 10 stackable chairs that go around a telescopic dining table for large dinner parties. Take the tiny tour of Hill’s ultra-efficient home above. New York designer Graham Hill managed to pack eight rooms into 420-square-foot studio by using transforming spaces and furniture.

Archive Building a Tiny Off-Grid Cabin in New Mexico By Kevin Stevens A few years ago we purchased some vacant land in northern New Mexico. We chose that area based on a number of factors. Site Location and Solar Power Our parcel of land is a bit under 42 acres and nearly all the land around us is uninhabited grazing land. I designed all of our cabin’s lighting needs to be met with 12 volt DC based LED’s. Challenges with Building the Cabin Building in a remote location has some added challenges that many take for granted. Cooking, Water and Heat In a conventional home, the turning of a knob may bring life to a cook stove using natural gas or electricity at 220 volts. All of our water is brought in using 5 gallon Nalgene jugs. Our cabin is passive solar by design and when the winter sun is shining, the wood stove is not usually required. A Work in Progress The initial building process had us “dried in” after a months work, but I still have a ways to go on a lot of the smaller details. Kevin Stevens writes for Networx.com.

Contemporary Shepherd Huts From England by Thomas Alabaster The tiny house movement is continuing to grow in the UK, and this little house has to be one of my favorites to date. It’s been built by Thomas Alabaster of Contemporary Shepherd Huts, a company based in Suffolk, England, that focuses on the design and construction of small spaces. The striking exterior is clad in galvanized steel that’s been welded together. The roofing is withdrawn from the apex, making way for a full-length skylight that bathes the interior in natural light. Alabaster approaches the design of his huts from a personal perspective, aiming to create a space that connects with nature: “Having grown up in the Suffolk countryside I have always loved English summers, and take real pleasure in feeling connected to my environment… I try to enable this in the small spaces I design, while at the same time working with a client to create their dream hideaway.” The space is mostly open plan with a small kitchenette, dining area and living room.

Archive Tiny Tea House by Todd Miller After much ado, Oregon Cottage Company is proud to christen our latest Tiny Cottage. Based upon the “Alsek” cottage the new “Tiny Tea House” is now complete. I hope you enjoy the photos! We will let the pictures do the talking for us! The “Tea Room” with shoji screens, (3) tatami mats, a sunken tea warming hearth, two pull out drawers for storage under the raised floor, a “guest” 28.5 in. x 28.5 in. entry door, a honoring alcove, and a traditional tea serving chest. We choose to use black walnut accent wood around the guest entry door, loft edge trim, alcove slabs and ladder catch. The small efficient 5 ft. long counter with large 36 in. x 36 in. awning window allows enough room for the dining area on the opposite wall. We used 3 tatami mats with a pine and black walnut frame. To remind her of her childhood bathing routine, we installed a Japanese soaking tub with stainless steel surround for our client to soak and shower in if desired.

Gold Thread Tiny House Marjolein Jonker's Cool and Calming Contemporary Tiny House on Wheels The tiny house movement continues to make headway in The Netherlands with this recent build. The house has been designed by Lena and Laurens van der Wal, with the aid of and Vincent Höfte of Buro Walden. The design was then passed to Dimka Wentzel of Tiny-House.nl who built the home. Unlike their American counterparts, Dutch tiny houses tend to be contemporary in style. This house is no exception – it features an unusual asymmetric roof and is clad entirely in with wood. On the inside, they’ve opted for a crisp minimalist finish to create a calming and spacious atmosphere. The house was built for Marjolein Jonker, a “tiny house ambassador” and advocate. On the inside, the first floor is divided up between a bathroom, kitchen, dining area and living room. The living room has been carved out of the home’s end-bay. For more tiny houses check out the Maringotka, a traditional caravan that gets a homey makeover. Via TreeHugger Photos: Marjolein Jonker

The Bunkie Comes to #IIDEX13 | IIDEX Canada – Canada's National Design + Architecture Expo & Conference June 27, 2013 The Bunkie Company and IIDEX present the world debut of a full scale functional Bunkie at #IIDEX13. The Bunkie is designed by Nathan Buhler, Jorge Torres and Evan Bare. Responding to a perceived need for overflow living both in Cottage Country and in the city, The Bunkie aims to deliver a highly functional, transformative space in an elegant form. The Bunkie began as a medium to experiment in ideas that cross boundaries between architecture and industrial design. The interior is meant to maximize the potential for small the small space (96 sq feet) by designing for three modes: Sleep, Play and Open. Sleep Mode employs two queen sized Murphy beds built into the wall and ceiling. See more photos and learn more about The Bunkie and it's designers in the coming months by staying tuned to the IIDEX News Feed.

Benefits Of Living In A Tiny House In Canada May 7, 2013 | Posted in Tiny Houses | By Joanne Tiny Houses are becoming more and more popular around the world and in Canada. Many people are realizing that a big house isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. What Has Brought Us Here Tiny houses are gaining popularity all across Canada. Even though the size of the average family in Canada has decreased over the past 50-60 years, the average size of a Canadian house has increased almost three times. We are now seeing a shift in the other direction. When most people think of a small house, they think of a cabin in the woods or a cottage by the lake. More recently, with the financial problems that Canadians are facing, the uncertain job security, and the increasing living expenses – they are looking towards these smaller sized homes as their main living space. Your Footprint on the Environment As the environment gets more attention, we begin to look at our ecological footprint. How Small Can you go in Canada? DIY Construction of your Tiny Home

Getaway - Stay in a Tiny House for $99 with this New Hampshire Startup For those of your that would like to trial tiny house living before committing to it, there’s a new startup by the name of Getaway that will give you a taste of the lifestyle. The company was born out of Harvard University and provides people with the opportunity to test drive a tiny house for $99 per night. Getaway operates out of a small site in rural New Hampshire and is the first project launched by the Millennial Housing Lab, an innovation lab founded by Harvard students, Jon Staff and Peter Davis. According to their manifesto, Getaway aims to “help grow the tiny house movement”. The wooded site can be found two hours north of Boston and is home to a few tiny houses, each of which has been designed by a team of students. Their first home has been dubbed Ovida and can sleep up to four people. Ovida measures approximately 160 square feet and is kitted out with a composting toilet, solar powered electricity, and propane heating. Via Inhabitat Photos: Getaway

Archive Our Guest Cabin by Jacquelien Wubs We live in a very small house with 5 kids. My parents live 1200km away and like to come visit a couple of times a year. When we saw an advertisement for this (unfinished) cabin/shed the wheels started turning and the ideas began forming. We wanted them to have full bathroom facilities and a queen size bed (on the main floor). I love how it turned out and I hope you do to! We chose to go with electric heat as it would cost too much to have a gas line put in place. We have a living area with love seat, built-in bookcase and electric fireplace. There is a trap door in the floor of the bathroom that can be lifted for access to the “basement” where you can put suitcases, etc. We tried to utilize every square inch to make a comfortable and fully functioning home away from home for my parents and any one else who would like to come and visit!

Érablière à l'ancienne .wmv The Basecamp - A Tiny House That Embraces A Mountaineers Lifestyle This tiny house on wheels has been built by mountain-climbing, husband-and-wife Luke and Tina. The generously sized home is 24 feet in length and contains a total of 204 square feet (18.5 square meters) on the inside. Throw in the roof-top deck and it jumps up to 383 square feet. The house has been dubbed The Basecamp, continuing the mountaineering theme. Mountaineering can frequently lead you off the beaten track with little or no access to utilities. A set of double French doors take you into the main living area of the home. A staircase takes you to the sleeping loft, a cozy space filled with plenty of natural light and storage. Back on the first floor, the living room can be used as a second sleeping spot. You’re able to access the roof deck from the bedroom – a small door at the head of the bed leads out to a flight of steps that take you to the deck. Via TreeHugger Photos: Back Country Tiny Homes

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