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.” Not so tall that it would hit bridges, but wide enough to be usable. I also incorporated sustainable practices I learned at UT like cross wind ventilation, single pitch roof optimized for rain water catchment, solar compatibility (orienting the space long way east/west preventing too much sun), over insulation, and the use of piers. The piers eliminate the need for a lot of concrete and are able to relocate easily if needed.
Since I painted my way through college, I knew where most damage would occur from the sun and rain. To compensate for this, I placed galvanized tin on the bottom 1/3 of the north and south walls, and almost all of the east and west walls. The structure was built with eaves for the same reasons.
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. I was happy to do my part to save landfill space.