Pedalpalooza: Tour of Southeast Portland Tiny Homes

Following is a guest post by my friend Tammy Strobel who publishes the Rowdy Kittens Blog.

Shift is an organization in Portland that brings people together for bike based fun. Every year Shift facilitates an amazing event called Pedalpalooza, that spans a 2 week period.

With 291 events, most organized by individuals, bikers of all persuasions are likely to find many events of interest. Nearly all events are free.

A few weeks ago Eli Spevak, from Orange Splot, LLC, organized a Pedalpalooza ride featuring tiny homes. A group of 150 cyclists gathered for the tiny home tour, in Southeast Portland.

Beginning of Ride

We stopped at six tiny homes and saw a number of different housing styles, including: a 14 x 8 gypsy wagon, a little house made of cob, a nanny’s house on wheels, a straw-bail tiny house that is being used as a detached bedroom, an urban village, and a cute little home that was converted from a garage to a little cottage.

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EcoNests

I first saw an EcoNest about 9 years ago and had forgotten about them until now. Even after studying many different types of natural building, Econests will continue to be one of my favorites because of their beautiful resemblance to the curves and colors of nature. They might even be the closest way to be outdoors without stepping out the door.

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EcoNests are simple, elegant, and healthful handcrafted dwellings that welcome owner participation in their construction.

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Casa Juan Galan

Alternative Energy, Passive Solar House for Sale The house is located in Tres Orejas, a small off-grid community one-half hour west of Taos, New Mexico. Situated on 3/4 acre of desert oasis with outstanding 360° panoramic views of the Sangre de Christo (Rocky Mountains) and Picuris mountain to the east … Read more

Natural Bathhouses

Because of the lack of space in a tiny house, a separate bathhouse can be built nearby to hold a bathing area, hot tub or sauna. This is not only for necessity, but as a tranquil space for relaxation. On my search for tiny bathhouses I kept running into these … Read more

Real Goods Tiny Houses

I am very lucky to be living in Northern California where there is a lot of tiny house activities going on. Besides, Jay with Tumbleweed Tiny House Company, Bill with Tortoise Shell Homes and Stephen with Little House on the Trailer, I am just 45 minutes from Hopland and the … Read more

A Desert Oasis

I sold every piece of furniture I owned, had multiple garage sales and made a few deposits to thrift shops. After two months of shedding stuff accumulated over twenty years, I packed what was left into a 10 x 6 U-Haul trailer, hitched it to the back of my truck, and headed for Texas.

Straw Bale Women

There is something feminine about straw bale homes. The warmth, curves and color of these natural spaces act like a hug when you walk in the door. While these profiled straw bale homes are small rather than tiny (most are around 400-800 square feet) they were envisioned, designed and built … Read more

Straw Bale – Building with Awareness

Recently I have had the opportunity to review Ted Owens Guidebook and DVD – “Building With Awareness.“ Green designer and filmmaker Ted Owens has spent much of his professional career in the field of energy and resource-efficient design. Award-winning filmmaker and designer Ted Owens guides you through the entire construction … Read more

Financing Your Straw Bale Project

If you are interested in straw bale construction you will want to know how to finance it. Andrew Morrison of StrawBale.com has written the following article that covers this topic. Enjoy! Financing Your Straw Bale Project One of the most difficult aspects of building with straw bales may be finding … Read more

Straw Bale and Timber Frame

Straw bale works extremely well with timber frame construction. It is a great infill for tiny houses and small cottages. Andrew Morrison of Jacksonville, Oregon with his company at StrawBale.com has designed the neatest little cottage using these two elements. This peaceful little cottage is perfect for the do-it-yourselfer who … Read more