I photographed about 20 of them, but there are many more. I became interested in small dwellings when I went to Whidbey Island, Washington.

I didn’t take photos of them, but there are also numerous bungalow style houses in New York City down in Far Rockaway, Queens. These are interesting because they are basically very old low income housing and you get to see the stark contrast between the nearby project buildings and these small free standing structures with compact yards. I wish I’d gotten some some photos of these because many are in bad shape and I could imagine them getting demolished at any time.

Block Island is a fascinating place, think Martha’s Vineyard or Nantucket 50 years ago. There are large houses on the island, but the modest scale of much of the architecture stems from a number of factors beginning with its remote location, a 12 mile ferry ride from the mainland. The wind is extreme and larger structures would be less wind resistant.

Everything tends to decay faster on the island, as a result of the salt spray and harsh winters, so renovation and upkeep are a constant battle as well.

Electricity costs on the island produced through burning coal are the highest in the nation, having a smaller structure with a wood stove is a no brainer.

One other interesting thing. The South Lighthouse also is rather small and stout for a lighthouse. This is because it is high up on a 200 ft bluff and doesn’t need to be especially tall. They actually moved the whole structure in a famous engineering/construction project away from the eroding bluff it was dangerously close to. The whole coastline is eroding quickly just like everything else on the island. Here is a link about that. http://www.nps.gov/maritime/nhl/blockisl.htm

Thank you John for taking all of these great photos and sharing them with us -Kent

StoveTec was created in the fall of 2008 as a not-just-for-profit entity to act as the technology transfer recipient for the Aprovecho Research Center. ARC has worked for 30 years to design and build improved cook stoves and has completed over 100 projects in 60 countries. ARC designed StoveTec stoves with cooks to assure that cooks all over the world would love the stove.

StoveTec Stoves use 40-50% less fuel and reduce emissions by 50-75% compared to cooking with an open fire or unimproved cook stove.

Each stove prevents 60%, or 1.5 tons, of green house gas emissions every year it is used.

You can purchase a Stovetec stove or donate stoves to a country in need by going here. More information on how they are used for humanitarian needs visit the Aprovecho website.

John Gudenkauf of Tucson, Arizona has created the perfect bed for your small space or tiny house.

Double Space Bed Systems was created by the joint effort of John and Yani Gudenkauf. The original concept arose after researching and planning out the details to build a comfortable “tiny house” of 200 sf. Most very small/tiny homes utilize a loft-type bed to gain extra space, and for John (a semi-claustrophobic person), this would not do. From these efforts, the Double Space Bed System (DSBS) was born.

We started working on the Double Space Bed System in November of 2006. It was designed, engineered and built by John Gudenkauf, and design and utility patents are pending. We endeavor to build craftsman quality, elegant, easy-to-use products that will last a lifetime (or longer) in the U.S.A. We use eco-friendly/green products and practices whenever possible, and will offer eco-friendly/green versions of our products, as well.

To learn more visit John Gudenkauf Double Space Bed System.

Bed Up

Bed Down