I learned about tiny houses by reading the recent issue of Time Magazine [1], which featured 51 ideas for “making a difference” regarding global warming. Jay Shafer owns Tumbleweed Tiny House Company, [2] which designs tiny inhabitable houses. His smallest model is a mind-cramping 40 square foot floorplan. On the other hand, the 240 sq foot models intrigue me. He also has a more spacious 600 sq ft house (including a “great room”) that comfortably sleeps four. Better make sure your roommates share your idea of what “noise” is . . .
Since 1997 I have been living in a house smaller than some people’s bathrooms. I call the first of my little hand built houses Tumbleweed (left). My decision to inhabit just 100 square feet arose from some concerns I had about the impact a larger house would have on the environment, and because I do not want to maintain a lot of unused or unusable space. My houses have met all of my domestic needs without demanding much in return. The simple, slower lifestyle my homes have afforded is a luxury for which I am continually grateful.
Shafer’s claims that his homes are designed to withstand a 180 mph wind–a legitimate concern that he addresses in his site. A big payoff, of course, is the reduced energy usage [4]:
All of the houses are very well insulated and easy to heat and cool to any desired temperature. I typically spent less than $170 on propane to heat my house during the brutal Iowa winter (that is for the entire winter), and I spend next to nothing to cool it during summers.
Even if a 240 sq ft house is not interesting to you, the fact that people are selling and living in such houses explodes some preconceptions of what is “necessary.” I’ve written on this topic of wasteful consumerism here [5] and here [6] and here [7].
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