Showing posts with label tiny homes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tiny homes. Show all posts
Saturday, January 23, 2016
Wednesday, January 13, 2016
via Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/BAflgN3gMoF/
I got this in an antique/coffeehouse in Waimea, Kauai, Hawaii last year. The entire bottle is 9-1/2" long (the section shown here is about 5" wide), 4" high, 3" wide; the neck, through which all of this had to fit, is about 1" wide. How they ever did this is beyond me. Build it in collapsed form, slide in and pull erect? There are two human figures, a couple of baskets, a palm tree, and some fencing. Wonder of wonders!
I got this in an antique/coffeehouse in Waimea, Kauai, Hawaii last year. The entire bottle is 9-1/2" long (the section shown here is about 5" wide), 4" high, 3" wide; the neck, through which all of this had to fit, is about 1" wide. How they ever did this is beyond me. Build it in collapsed form, slide in and pull erect? There are two human figures, a couple of baskets, a palm tree, and some fencing. Wonder of wonders!
Saturday, January 9, 2016
This is a tiny home they built in 10 days on an old Dodge flatbed truck in Humboldt County, California.
We are posting one of their projects each day for a week here: http://www.theshelterblog.com/
Wednesday, December 30, 2015
Photo: Jim Wilson/NYTimes
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/29/us/jerry-brown-california-ranch.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=photo-spot-region®ion=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&_r=0
Thursday, December 17, 2015
Last night I watched an episode of Tiny House Nation on TV. Or, rather, watched as long as I could stand it, less than five minutes. It had this nice looking young white couple with three kids being surprised by their newly built tiny house. The building was a mess. Crudely attached short pieces of “natural lumber,” slate roof (?), dumb porch (don't subtract from precious interior space), dangerous loft.
Worse was the amazement and delight of the occupants upon seeing their new digs. It all seemed phony and shallow. Reality TV comes to the tiny house movement. "Could you go out, come back in, and say 'awesome,' again, honey?"
I tell people that I'm not the tiny homes guy just because I did a book on the subject. I'm the build-it-yourself-guy. Do what you can for yourself with your hands—shelter, food, clothing, firewood, etc.— with the awareness and understanding that you can't do it all. Find the balance.
I don't know about other Tiny House Nation episodes, but this one was a commercialization and dumbing-down version of a concept that is very real in its heart for many people. Too bad.
Here's just one example of bad design in the TH field, and it's quite prevalent: Are those round steps with no banister actually the way you climb up into the cramped and dangerous loft? The ladder to loft is a bad design in all these gable roofed tiny houses. The space is claustrophobic. There should be windows all-around at eye level to expand your sense of place. And so on. Unfortunately this configuration is the poster girl for the tiny house movement.
What do I think is better? The gypsy wagon, or vardo design, with curved roof and bed at one end with drawers underneath. Lots of eye level windows. Heck, look at our last book.
I'm not one to bemoan the absence of architects, but in this field, good architecture could make a huge difference.
And by the way, a home is more than a house.
Photo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RijQcJTruek
Worse was the amazement and delight of the occupants upon seeing their new digs. It all seemed phony and shallow. Reality TV comes to the tiny house movement. "Could you go out, come back in, and say 'awesome,' again, honey?"
I tell people that I'm not the tiny homes guy just because I did a book on the subject. I'm the build-it-yourself-guy. Do what you can for yourself with your hands—shelter, food, clothing, firewood, etc.— with the awareness and understanding that you can't do it all. Find the balance.
I don't know about other Tiny House Nation episodes, but this one was a commercialization and dumbing-down version of a concept that is very real in its heart for many people. Too bad.
Here's just one example of bad design in the TH field, and it's quite prevalent: Are those round steps with no banister actually the way you climb up into the cramped and dangerous loft? The ladder to loft is a bad design in all these gable roofed tiny houses. The space is claustrophobic. There should be windows all-around at eye level to expand your sense of place. And so on. Unfortunately this configuration is the poster girl for the tiny house movement.
What do I think is better? The gypsy wagon, or vardo design, with curved roof and bed at one end with drawers underneath. Lots of eye level windows. Heck, look at our last book.
I'm not one to bemoan the absence of architects, but in this field, good architecture could make a huge difference.
And by the way, a home is more than a house.
Photo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RijQcJTruek
Wednesday, December 16, 2015
"The Sami people (also Sámi or Saami), traditionally known in English as Lapps or Laplanders, are an indigenous Finno-Ugric people inhabiting the Arctic area of Sápmi, which today encompasses parts of far northern Norway, Sweden, Finland, the Kola Peninsula of Russia, and the border area between south and middle Sweden and Norway.…
Their best-known means of livelihood is semi-nomadic reindeer herding. Currently about 10% of the Sami are connected to reindeer herding, providing them with meat, fur, and transportation. 2,800 Sami people are actively involved in herding on a full-time basis. For traditional, environmental, cultural, and political reasons, reindeer herding is legally reserved only for Sami people in certain regions of the Nordic countries.…"
http://www.whitewolfpack.com/2015/12/rare-old-photos-of-indigenous-sami.html
From Rick Gordon
Above: Sami people in the late 1800s Sweden/Norway..…Their best-known means of livelihood is semi-nomadic reindeer herding. Currently about 10% of the Sami are connected to reindeer herding, providing them with meat, fur, and transportation. 2,800 Sami people are actively involved in herding on a full-time basis. For traditional, environmental, cultural, and political reasons, reindeer herding is legally reserved only for Sami people in certain regions of the Nordic countries.…"
http://www.whitewolfpack.com/2015/12/rare-old-photos-of-indigenous-sami.html
From Rick Gordon
Tuesday, December 15, 2015
Now it has to go.
Lam says his neighbours love the little cottage and have even rented it for their own guests, but someone has made a complaint and city inspectors have given him notice to get rid of the place.
'It’s kind of heartbreaking, said Lam, 39, who has listed the cottage for sale on Craigslist.
'People love it, except for the one neighbour. I really don’t want to sell it, but the city wants me to take it out.'…”
http://news.nationalpost.com/homes/tiny-vancouver-home-listed-for-20k-but-you-have-to-move-it-out-of-the-city-where-its-illegal?google_editors_picks=true
From Anonymous
Monday, December 14, 2015
Just thought you might like to see some photos of SunRay's latest creation -- a funky little treehouse nestled in ponderosa pine trees, built during the recent 20th anniversary Natural Building Colloquium in Kingston, New Mexico. I have a bunch of images on my website here: http://www.theyearofmud.com/blog/
It's a beautiful structure, particularly the roof. Hope you enjoy!
- ziggy
p.s. By the way, I'm greatly looking forward to the next book!
Brian 'Ziggy' Liloia
Natural Building Workshops & more
Thursday, December 3, 2015
Monday, November 30, 2015
"We're off-grid, with no electricity or running water! Our rustic cabins use a wood-stove for heating. A hand-pump well and rain catchment provides for all of our water needs.…"
http://bellingham.craigslist.org/apa/5335695095.html
Saturday, September 19, 2015
In San Francisco, "…it’s clear that money has lost all meaning."
http://fusion.net/story/199332/this-is-what-a-350000-house-in-san-francisco-looks-like/
From Rick Gordon
Thursday, September 17, 2015
"I am a registered architect with a passion for African vernacular architecture. I wish to connect with others with similar interests to preserve African vernacular architecture before it vanishes. The overall goal is a database, which currently does not exist online for most African countries."
 Jon (Twingi) Sojkowskihttp://www.malawiarchitecture.com/#!homes/csc8 |
Friday, September 4, 2015
http://yogan.over-blog.com/
His website: http://www.yogancharpentier.com/
This photo from The Salmon Creek Farm in Mendocino County
He's now heading up to visit SunRay Kelley in Washington.
Friday, August 21, 2015
"You gave it to me last year."
Earlier this morning, I'd given a Tiny Homes On the Move mini book to a 3-year-old girl sitting at our able and she started going through it page by page and then said, "This is really cool."
Made my day, to say the least. Kids are with us.
Here's Kyle Radic, driving south to San Francisco with his mom and she said he'd brought along his favorite book:
Photo by Titsch Jones
*Titsch and I were born on the same day (not the same year), and my mother's maiden name was Jones, so I consider him my brother. He's from Wales.
