OT: Tiny homes/Home design/Sustainable living

[William]

I've been watching the development of container homes for a few years now, mostly enjoying the different design concepts that people come up with as well as possibly doing something similar in the future. I really liked this one for the gentleman's excellent use of space, amazing woodworking skills, future expandability, and the fact that it can still be shipped anywhere in the world.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPgjndFqqwY

A 20ft Shipping Container can be a challenging space to work with when constructing a home. Thankfully, with years of experience building super-yachts and racing boats, shipwright Evans is no stranger to working in small spaces and when it came to building his own home he has done a truly spectacular job of, quite literally, thinking inside the box.

Inside, the home is a truly masterful expression of years of Evans experience working on yachts, as well as a furniture maker. Natural timbers with rich tones make it difficult to believe that you are actually standing inside a stark, white, metal box. Much of the furniture inside the shipping container house is lovingly restored and recovered from the home that Evans previously shared with his wife Rosie, who passed away 4 years ago, allowing him to build her memory into his new home.

William

[F150]

Nicely done. I'd be interested to know if the side doors are something he added, or if that's a particular type of container. Most, of course, have a single set of doors on one end. I have seen some (but few) with doors on each end. Had similar idea for weekend getaway or duck camp build, although not so artfully executed.

[William]

I thought he said "special use" container. Probably one of the ISO Dolphin containers or something like it.









William

[stephenmarklay]

Originally Posted by William

I've been watching the development of container homes for a few years now, mostly enjoying the different design concepts that people come up with as well as possibly doing something similar in the future. I really liked this one for the gentleman's excellent use of space, amazing woodworking skills, future expandability, and the fact that it can still be shipped anywhere in the world.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPgjndFqqwY


I am fascinated by them too. I have a VW westfalia and I was always impressed on the multi-use of space in that.









William

I am fascinated by them too. I have a VW westfalia and I was always impressed on the multi-use of space in that.

[F150]

Originally Posted by William

I thought he said "special use" container. Probably one of the ISO Dolphin containers or something like it.











William

Yes, a little more digging on my part and found the side entry version. Cost for standard end door unit seems to be $1500-$2000 range; full side doors plus doors on one end more like $5000. For something they cannot afford to ship back to point of origin, they sure ain't cheap.

Interviewer mentioned not cutting lots of holes, keeping the "shipping" container aspect intact. Assuming the drain/waste piping runs thru couplings or penetrations in floor, cut flush with bottom, such that they would not prevent stacking (in the event Velotel agrees to let you stage one in his lawn)

[p nut]

I don't think I could make a move into one of those, but I have thought about buying a big plot of land somewhere out in the sticks and building a rustic cabin out of these containers.

[William]

Another interesting use of design and space on a small/moderate budget in a beautiful local...

When his wife inherited a ruined stable in Italy’s Orobic Alps, architect Alfredo Vanotti reinvisioned the space as a family home, reflecting local craftsmanship and his love of modern design.

To daylight the home, Vanotti created a long skylight and four large windows facing the Valtellina Valley below. To create exterior walls that resembled the “dry stone” technique of the the region’s traditional homes, he used local stone and a minimal amount of cement to hold it together.

For the interior, Vanotti used reinforced concrete, along with natural larch and iron to give the home a more modern feel. “Concrete is misused,” he explains. “It shouldn’t be perfect. The advantage of concrete: it shouldn’t be smooth, beautiful, precise.” The fireplace, sink, bidet, shower and toilet are all custom-designed from unfinished concrete. To showcase the material’s imperfections, Vanotti chose to leave the material untreated and uncovered. “Concrete is a refined material. You don’t have to hide it.”

With just a “small budget”, and relying on help from his father, Vanotti transformed the ruin into a weekend home for his family over the course of five years. He designed the home from the ground up, including the kitchen sink. Everything was designed by the architect, including the concrete sink/bidet/toilet and fireplace. Nearly every detail was personalized, like the door/cupboard handles made from strips of leather.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdvtRzgtjdQ









William

[William]

Another video recently watched I found to be very interesting...not about tiny homes, but more about "living lightly on the land" with homes that blend more into their surroundings and the use of common space.

In 1965, a group of young architects- inspired by the local Pomo Indians’ belief in “living lightly on the land”- began planning a community where the buildings blend with the terrain and instead of yards, there are “commons”: miles of shared fields, oceanfront and walking trails.

“It’s about experiencing the place rather than following a golf ball or something,” explains Sea Ranch architect Donlyn Lyndon. “One of the things most important about The Sea Ranch is that half of the land is held in commons. When you get a deed it describes your property and that you own an indivisible portion of the commons which is to say you can’t sell that, but you are an owner of the commons.”

Located two and a half hours north of San Francisco, The Sea Ranch covers 10 miles of rugged coastline. To preserve the coast for the community, the homes are built at least 100 feet from the cliff leaving room for a bluff trail (with public access points) along the entire stretch.

The weathered wooden houses are inspired by the local barns and according to original promo materials “strong without being assertive, simple without being plain.” There are no lawns (only native flora), no mailboxes, no streetlights, and cars must be hidden from view.

One of the original architects Donlyn Lyndon gave us a tour of the commons, his home and a new build of concrete and Cor-Ten steel that remains in the Sea Ranch spirit with its natural weathering and design reflective of its surroundings.

NorCal community blends nature with communal & private space
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSatZChiSt8








William

[oldpotatoe]

Originally Posted by William

I thought he said "special use" container. Probably one of the ISO Dolphin containers or something like it.



William

Ahhhhh, my house!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-zE82Kiv38

[William]

Originally Posted by oldpotatoe

Ahhhhh, my house!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-zE82Kiv38

C'mon, I don't think you could even fit all of your tools and wheels in that thing!





William

[93legendti]

Most Paceliners' bike collections wouldn't fit in one of those.

[batman1425]

I love the idea of a Tiny/container house, but I think I would struggle to make it work long term. It wouldn't be the every day space I would miss, it would be the storage for bikes, tools, and such.

I wouldn't hesitate to build a cozy vacation home out of one on a nice piece of land however.

[sonicCows]

Originally Posted by William

Another video recently watched I found to be very interesting...not about tiny homes, but more about "living lightly on the land" with homes that blend more into their surroundings and the use of common space.

NorCal community blends nature with communal & private space
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSatZChiSt8

William

Fell in love with Sea Ranch after seeing it featured in The Field Guide to American Homes (a great book you may like by the way). Looking forward to whatever else you may dig up

[HenryA]

I love that Italian mountain house!

[echelon_john]

That is almost perfect. LOVE.

Originally Posted by William

Another interesting use of design and space on a small/moderate budget in a beautiful local...




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdvtRzgtjdQ









William