Tiny House Blog

Here is a preview clip of a structure Deek (Derek Diedricksen) is now working on, that will travel with him to festivals, and speaking appearances, etc. Its designed to be a mobile, stackable, homeless shelter that doubles as a street vending kiosk. As always, its made with a good deal of recycled curb materials, and salvaged building-site materials.

The structure is still nameless, and as Deek is still looking for funding to break even on his Vermont Cabin shoot (in HD, it looks GREAT!) and/or for their Jay Shafer/Tiny Tumbleweed House Company Episode, Deek might even go so far as to name the cabin after whoever largely helps/sponsors our videos- which WILL reach a ton of people (Episode #1 in just over 3 months has grabbed 37,000 views). Naturally, if the sponsor’s last name is “Crappy” or “Firetrap”, although comical, Deek might have to rethinking the naming-offer….and Deek probably won’t want to slap a Skoal logo on the side of it either!

So if you would like to spread your name or business than sponsor a Tiny Yellow House Episode contact Deek at kidcedar (at) gmail.com. Sponsorships are $300 per episode. Deek just told me there are other options higher and lower amounts to sponsor. Please read his comments in the comment section below.

Robert from Shelter 2.0 had been telling me about the special version they were making for Haiti and just sent me some pictures to share with you. Here is the previous Shelter 2.0 post.

This is what the new version looks like the only difference is that we are using 3/4″ osb for the ribs instead of ply. The cost ranges from $500 to $600 dollars in materials depending on what the price of sheet goods is doing and they are 10′x18′.

Here are pictures of the ones we shipped to Haiti being crated and shipped. I will be going to Haiti on June 21st to help set them up.

Continue Reading »

A while back Christina wrote about Zoe Outdoors and than I covered there Eco Cottage. The other day Joe O’Connor wrote me about a new home he has developed that is aimed at the homeless problem in Oregon. I will let Joe explain the project to you.

I am a lawyer by profession, but I retired my practice early to be able to devote full time to a community development foundation that works in impoverished communities. I have had www.zoeoutdoors.com on the side as an outlet for my creative impulses in building things but also as a way to help develop revenue and funds to support our non profit work- see:
www.csdcouncil.org and www.bright-hope.org

So, we built our first arched “hobbit cottage” as a prototype simply because I loved the eclectic natural cedar look and design. Then we built the 2nd prototype (pics below) with a little diffrerent approach, trying to figure out how to continue the classic look, but in a bit more affordable manner. We have engineered a new “Puzzle – Click” arch system where the whole structural framework of the cottage is produced on a CnC machine (computerized cutting machine) . If you look close at the picture below of the interior arches, you can see a puzzle piece connection that makes each wall-roof-floor system become one very accurate easy to assemble integrated system. each arch is assembled flat on the pre cut floor system, tilted up and screwed or nailed in place. The roof can be either cedar shake shingles or a copper or colored steel roof. Or a combination of both. Continue Reading »

WILLISTON, N.D. — When Joey Scott arrived here recently from Montana, he had no trouble finding work — he signed almost immediately with a company working to drill in the oil fields. But finding housing was another matter.

Mobile homes and so-called skid shacks line up in a mobile home park in Williston, N.D. The park’s new owner has said he plans to update and expand the park.

Every motel in town was booked, some for months in advance. Every apartment complex, even every mobile home park, had a waiting list. Mr. Scott found himself sleeping in his pickup truck in the Wal-Mart parking lot, shaving and washing his hair in a puddle of melted snow.

This would seem like a perfect situation for tiny/small house builders to move in and show what could be done. What do you think?

Click here to read the full article and see more pictures.

Lauren an avid cyclist discovered this cool little shelter at Target and thought you might be interested in it. I think this fits in with the homeless shelter area of our discussions but could also be used in many other ways too. At $849 it is not the cheapest shelter out there but it is very unique and may be what you are looking for.

Innovative and unique, the Midget Bushtrekka Bicycle Camping Trailer is perfect for the cycling/camping enthusiast. With 120 liters of storage capacity, you can go days without having to resupply.

Constructed of high-strength aluminum and 600-denier ripstop nylon, the Bushtrekka is one rugged trailer. This one-of-a-kind pivoting wheel set and alloy wheels make for a comfortable ride over most terrain. Continue Reading »

In the world today, 2.6 billion people have no access to basic sanitation. Human faeces contains infectious and lethal pathogens, causing diseases such as cholera and diarrhea. The situation could be described as an ongoing emergency.

Designer and concept inventor Anders Wilhelson and codesigners Peter Thuvander and Camilla Wirsen together with peepoopeople have codesigned the peepoobag as a sanitation solution that aims at solving this global problem.

The peepoobag is a personal, single-use toilet that sanitises human excreta shortly after defecation. All this is done within a high performance degradable bioplastic bag coated with urea. It requires no water, and after use as the bag breaks down and disintegrates, the treated faeces become fertiliser with a high market value. its design is adapted in every way so that it might be manufactured at as low a price as possible and sold to the groups with weakest purchasing power in the world. Continue Reading »