Thinking Flexible

In Hong Kong, because of the space, apartments are small and expensive. Gary Chang, an architect, decided to design a 344 sq. ft. apartment to be able to change into 24 different designs, all by just sliding panels and walls. He calls this the "Domestic Transformer."

Japan Parking Space Home

CNN reported on  Fuyuhito Moriya in Japan who has built his home, shared with his mother, on the footprint of a parking space (around 30 sq meters).

Read the article:

(CNN) -- Fuyuhito Moriya is 39 and still lives with his mother, but in circumstances you would call a tad unusual.

Moriya, an unmarried man, and his mother, Yoko, live in a house that's built on 30 square meters, that's the same as the size of a parking space for one car.

They live in what's called an ultra-small house, a genre of single family homes bred of Japan's economic stagnation and brought to life by architectural ingenuity.

Moriya wasn't sure that the land, which was originally sold as a parking space for a car, would be big enough for a single family home. But when he started doing research into ultra-small homes, he began to realize it might work.

"My imagination was that it should be doable to build the rooms virtually on top of each other instead of side by side," says Moriya. "So I thought that it might be possible, but I wasn't really sure if it's actually possible."

Standing in his home, which is about the size of an American walk-in closet, Moriya triumphantly says it's not just possible, it's livable.
South-facing, large windows create the illusion of space. Minimal furniture and clutter keep the small home tidy. Hideaway cabinets for kitchen appliances and half size sinks shrink expected space.
Even the spiral staircase shaves inches, drawn as a triangle instead of a circle, slashing the space's diameter. The corners of the staircase become small closets, to stash shoes.
"Every single corner is used," says Moriya.
He spent approximately $500,000 to build his home, a bargain for a brand new home in Tokyo, one of the world's most expensive cities. Moriya could have rented a bigger apartment, but he desperately wanted to be a homeowner. With a limited budget but a desire to be a landowner, Moriya found his compromise.
"Size is not that important," he says. "More important for me is the atmosphere, the surroundings and the neighborhood. You reside in the building, but I'm focused on living in a particular area and environment. So the size of my home isn't as important as that."

It's a sentiment shared by a growing population of aspiring homeowners in Tokyo.

Architect Junichi Sugiyama of Side Architects says ultra-small homes now make up 70 percent of his company's business. And not because it's trendy, he says.

"There are not that many people who have a big budget," says Sugiyama.
"So if you want to have your own house but can't afford it on an average salary, you have to have a small place because land value is really high in Tokyo."
The result, he says, is fewer people building normal sized homes on typical lots. For architects, it's a creative challenge to cope with the new normal in home design.
"I don't really feel a limit," says Sugiyama, when asked if a space is ever too small.
"There are things you can do as an architect, simply because you're working with a small space. I believe you really can build a house on any sort of tiny space."
Moriya has lived in his ultra-small home for six months. Privacy has proven a challenge, he says, since he and his mother can't exactly escape each other in their super small house.
"That's indeed a problem. For now, I simply appreciate the fact that we have built our house on this land. The privacy issue will be our next task to solve," he says.

Planning to Work

We found out that Jay from Tumbleweeds Tiny Houses will we doing workshops around the country next year.  We planning on going to one of these.  They seem like the perfect first step to answering some of our questions and getting some practical info on the process.  I'm a long range planner so this really appeals to me.  Plus they are only $475 ( - 15% off if you book early)

About the workshop:

You Can DESIGN and BUILD Your Own Tiny House


If you dream of a tiny home, but aren’t sure where to start on your journey towards building your own, then join us at a Tumbleweed Tiny House Workshop, where you will learn the knowledge you will need to build and design your very own tiny home. These workshops, led by Jay Shafer, founder of Tumbleweed Tiny House Company and expert in tiny house building and design will revolutionize the way you think of space.
Since 1997 Jay Shafer has been living in and designing tiny homes for people all over the world. With a passion for living simply, he has created houses that are unique and composed with meticulous attention to details including light, warmth, energy efficiency and proportion. His work has spawned a movement towards tiny, with simple, comfortable, energy efficient and eco-friendly living solutions. His designs and work have appeared in the “Wall Street Journal”, “The New York Times”, and on television shows like “CNN” and “Oprah”.
Jay’s two day Tiny House Workshop will teach you insightful and extensive information that you will need to build and create your very own tiny house; from picking the proper trailer, to selecting the materials you need, to helping you design your very own tiny home.
The Two Day Workshop

The Tiny House Workshop is where you will learn all the detailed information on tiny home building and design that you can’t learn anywhere else. During the workshop Jay will answer common and not so common questions about constructing a tiny home, while also delving into the philosophy and movement behind tiny home living. In your class you will get personalized design guidance from Jay as you design and create your vision for your very own tiny home, turning it into a reality.
Day One: The Comprehensive Tiny House Building Workshop

On day one of the workshop Jay will share his extensive knowledge of building tiny homes and the best materials to use for each part of your home. This class is for everyone. Anyone with the desire and passion can build a tiny home you just need the tools and knowledge to do it.

On day one, you will start off by learning about the foundation of your tiny home and from there you will learn how to frame, sheath and insulate your home. Here you will learn tips and insights only experts know.
On Day One You Will Learn:
■How to build your home in the most cost effective manner, save money during construction, which jobs you are best fitted to do and when is a good time to call in some help;

■The 14 tools that Jay uses to build his homes;

■How you can build a house on a trailer or standard foundation;

■How to select the best materials for your home and which materials to avoid;

■The best ways to guard against condensation, one of the key issues with small homes;

■How to frame and sheath your home;

■Proper siding techniques: what works best, what materials you can use, their energy efficiency benefits, and how to apply them to your home;

■The ins and outs of proper insulation and venting techniques for your tiny home and why some types of green insulation don’t work in a tiny home;

■Roofing techniques that will ensure you properly protect your home;

■What types of home heaters, water heaters, kitchen appliances and toilets you will need for your tiny home;

■All about building code restrictions and zoning laws that dictate the size and style of home you can build;

■AND MUCH MORE…

Day Two: Let Your Creativity Flow-The Small Space Design Workshop

On day two the workshop will focus on design and how to personalize and build your tiny home to meet the needs of your family. This class is for everyone, from beginners to professional architects and builders.

In the first half of the design workshop, you will explore the Seven Organizing Principles behind small house living, beginning with an insightful discussion on simplicity led by Jay. Jay will also discuss his personal elements of house design that will help you bring beauty to your home. You will also learn how Jay uses “sacred architecture” in his house designs to create iconic house images.

Looking to create your own portable small house design? Then this is the class for you.

Plus, During Day Two You Will Get:

■Valuable information on window sizing and fire codes;

■Must have knowledge on sizing of kitchen cabinetry, door sizes, shower sizes, toilet sizing and how to get more compact choices for your tiny home;

■Detailed information about trailers, from flatbeds to utility trailers to car haulers, including standard trailer sizes and weight capacities;

■Drawing instruction and how to draw your plans to scale;

■An open ideas forum at the end of the day with Jay to share ideas and ask questions;

■AND MUCH MORE…

The Second Half of Day Two: DESIGN Your Own Tiny Home

The second half of day two will lead you to the design studio where you will have the opportunity to design your own tiny home under the guidance of Jay Shafer. As you work on your design, Jay will answer any questions you may have about the tiny home you are creating.

If you are looking to design your own home or remodel an existing one on a trailer, we will help you set up the maximum dimensions. We will help you pick the correct trailer for your home, calculate the sizes down to the inch of the width, height and wall thickness.

When designing your tiny home you will even be able to figure out how much head space your home on wheels will have in the downstairs and loft!


Finding The Tiny House Expert in You.

By the end of your two day session with Jay Shafer you will have gained priceless knowledge and tools that you can take with you and use to design and build your very own tiny home for your family.

I'm excited!  I hope we can get to one.

Compact and Functional

Half the fun of moving into a new place, even a smaller new place, is searching out the gadgets and items that are perfectly designed and with the functionality this is just what you were looking for.

 

Two of the modifications I was thinking we would need in our Tiny House was bedside lighting and a charging and storage place for our iPhones/iPods.  And this OttLite POD lamp fits the bill.  I like that is folds up when not in use but opens to reveal a compact light with a place for our devices to charge all in one spot.  It even has cord management.   They're on sale now for $40.

 

 

 

 

 

Another item that we've been thinking about is a TV... or maybe an iPad... or something?  I like this mini-projector option from Optoma.

 

 

 

 

Per the site:

 

View video and images from personal media players, mobile phones, PDAs, cameras and gaming devices with ease and without recharging the battery for up to 2 hours.

 

Smaller than many digital cameras and smart phones, the Optoma PK100 Pico Pocket Projector enables users to share images and videos from their media devices at sizes up to 60" — incredible from a device small and light enough to be comfortably carried in a pocket or handbag.

 

Based upon the latest LED illumination advances and DLP® imaging technology, Optoma's PK100 Pico Pocket Projector combines clear, vivid, high contrast images with long-lasting durability and simple operation.

Features are:

• Easily share photos and videos from mobile devices
• Project images on any surface
• Ultra-light at 4 ounces including battery
• Image size up to 60 inches
• Vivid 1000:1 contrast ratio
• DLP® Pico technology
• LED light source lasts over 20,000 hours
• Recharge battery conveniently via USB or included AC power adaptor

Maybe we don't even need a TV.  And this could be a way we still can do our Movie Nights!

Book Review: Put Your Life on a Diet

Put Your Life on a Diet by Gregory Paul Johnson

I just finished this book the other day and thought it was very interesting.  Gregory Johnson is one of the founders of the Small Living movement and had some good tips for paring down.  I really like the idea of "outsourcing" your living space and needs.  For example, if you do your laundry at a laundromat of exercise at at gym, you don't need to own and maintain equipment that you don't use every day.  You are basically renting and sharing the upkeep of those services with others.

Not everything in his book, which is part workbook, is needed or applicable to us but it's a good first step if you are considering a small living type of change.

Here is an excerpt from the book via Natural Home's site.  You can also visit Gregory's site at Resources for Life.

Smaller Scale for Bigger Living

A big change happened the other day.  One that we knew would be coming sooner rather than later but is quite a transition nevertheless.

We got rid of our big TV.

Now our old TV was something around 60" wide.  Frankly, it was too big for the space that we had for it.  In our 110-year-old house it didn't really fit.  We had to sort of wedge it into a corner between the fireplace and the radiator box. It was very modern looking, dominated the room and, at times, seemed to dominate our lives as well.

But over the past few years we have been lessening it's hold on us.  I hate paying for cable and I really don't like much of what runs on TV and cable stations anyways.  If find it noisy and intrusive. So over a year we started cutting it out.  First we eliminated a bunch of stations then we decided to get rid of the cable altogether.   We still have the XBox game system which also allows us to stream the Instant View movies from NetFlix.  This is so great.  We have the most basic NetFlix rental and get the 1 DVD at a time which is plenty, but we can watch the Instant Queue movies over and over.  We have our DVD player too, streaming radio and Hulu and the free documentaries site too.   We definitely do not feel as if we are doing without entertainment wise.

The giant TV was still squatting there in the corner of the living room but it was on its last legs.  It had not been aging well. In the past few months the color had gone a bit wonky and the latest issue was that it would turn off repeatedly during a show.  It was not going to be long until we either had to pay to fix it or it died completely.

We decided it was time to find it a new home so we listed it and it's stand on CraigsList.  Of course we gave a full disclosure of the TV and it's problems but we also priced it very low.  We had a buyer that same day.  I'm not sure why we were surprised.  We've sold other equipment the same way that was even older.  Maybe these folks have better skills than we do!

So once the behemoth was out of the room, it did look a bit barren.  We did have a second TV, a 32" LCD (I think?!?) that was in the bedroom and was never used.  Once we had gotten rid of the cable we never bothered with it. That now was moved into the living room onto a much smaller TV stand that also goes better with the look of the house.

The smaller screen has taken some getting used to but that is offset by the much clearer picture... and the fact that it doesn't shut down 4 times within a 60 minute show.  We also have more space in the bedroom.  The smaller TV used to sit on top of my desk.  It now feels airier and more peaceful without it.

What's going next?

We need to Change

I love the TED talks.

I really need to sit down and watch all of this talk by Ellen Dunham-Jones on Retrofitting suburbia.

We're poised for a shift. How will you adapt?

Early Stages

We have a dream and a vision.

The goal as of today is to pay down what we owe, pare down our belongings and get to a point where we build a Tumbleweed Tiny House (possibly the Lusby, with some mods) and go on the road.



We have to wait a few years for financial reasons and for the pets but we want to do this by 2015 at the latest. It seems sort of far away but we've been here in NC for 5 years already and that has flown.

This site will be, for now, a journal of thoughts, ideas and plans. Hopefully someday it will be more.



We want to share our excitement and we want to maybe show that living a different way is possible.

The ride starts here, even before we put the tires on the road.