OT: Tiny homes/Home design/Sustainable living

[William]

Originally Posted by sonicCows

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

https://www.amazon.com/Sea-Ranch-Arc.../dp/1616891777





William

[Mzilliox]

you know whats weird, we don't pay any attention to which direction our houses face in relation to sun and wind. i find that odd. for a smart species, we sure try and work against nature often. you'd think we'd learn its just easier to conform to natural laws and pay attention.

having a tiny house is one thing. having an efficient house another. I'm into small and efficient rather than tiny for the sake of tiny. so much more heating and cooling needs could be met if we paid more attention to solar orientation and wind direction and designed accordingly.

and so many more people could be fed if we didn't monoculture and used our brains to design better gardens.

its all about the sun

we should pay more attention

[wasfast]

The tiny house is a predictable, and welcome, counterpoint to the McMansions of the pre2007 crash. Having come from Portland, birthplace of much of this, I do get it.

The owners seem to mostly be divorced middle aged women, young singles or young couples. The appeal of no mortgage, personalized design etc are all perks. I think the bigger picture gets ignored though. Few of these have indoor "facilities" or showers and seem to end up parked along someone else's house for hookups like water and electricity.

Certainly you could buy a piece of dirt somewhere and park these on it but between the price of the dirt, getting easements, sewer, power, etc, it's not quite the "bargain" as advertised.

Again, these aren't intended to be critical of the idea, I really like them. I just think the entire solution isn't presented well upfront. And, come time to sell, how much is a fancy mobile, custom home worth?

[William]

Originally Posted by Mzilliox

you know whats weird, we don't pay any attention to which direction our houses face in relation to sun and wind. i find that odd. for a smart species, we sure try and work against nature often. you'd think we'd learn its just easier to conform to natural laws and pay attention.

having a tiny house is one thing. having an efficient house another. I'm into small and efficient rather than tiny for the sake of tiny. so much more heating and cooling needs could be met if we paid more attention to solar orientation and wind direction and designed accordingly.

and so many more people could be fed if we didn't monoculture and used our brains to design better gardens.

its all about the sun

we should pay more attention

I watched this one on "Earthships" a while back, interesting concept...

“Earthships” - brainchild of architect Mike Reynolds in the 1970s- they’re nearly completely self-sufficient homes: no electrical grid, no water lines, no sewer....

Sixteen years ago, Tom Duke had just finished over a decade on the pro volleyball circuit when he bought a bit of land here with his wife and began to build a tiny Earthship the size of a storage shed. When their first son was born they built their dream house on the property, a two bedroom that, like other Earthships, collects rainwater, uses its water four times (the plants in the indoor greenhouse filter the greywater) and even processes its own sewage....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=efI77fzBgvg







William

[gomango]

Hmmm, let's see here.

$50,000 for forty acres in northern Minnesota near the BWCA.

http://www.bearislandland.com/data3837.html

Wee Cabins are running about $150-$300 sq. ft.

http://www.weecabins.com/index.php

They are popping up around the Ely, MN area and are gorgeous.

We are thinking full solar and generator back up.

Also looking into Tesla Powerwalls.

https://www.tesla.com/powerwall

Wood burning stoves also seem very attractive.

We'll likely make some choices right after we get the boys out of college.

[Mzilliox]

Originally Posted by William

I watched this one on "Earthships" a while back, interesting concept...




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=efI77fzBgvg



William

Earthship have a use in certain climates, but any house can be made more efficient by simply putting the windows in the right places to take advantage of solar gains.

cool discussion, i study and practice permaculture on my farm, so these are the ideas we use every day to make things work with nature instead of against it.

[Mikej]

Dang, I live in a 1100 sq ft 1 story. Which is plenty tiny - I would need family counseling after a week in some of these smaller houses that are portable. Also seems like 15 bikes would really take up a lot of room...maybe a roof rack?

[William]

Originally Posted by Mzilliox

Earthship have a use in certain climates, but any house can be made more efficient by simply putting the windows in the right places to take advantage of solar gains.

cool discussion, i study and practice permaculture on my farm, so these are the ideas we use every day to make things work with nature instead of against it.

How about a house...in a greenhouse?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30ghnDOFbNQ

Self contained providing heat, food, and sewage treatment.








William

[Mzilliox]

Originally Posted by William

How about a house...in a greenhouse?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30ghnDOFbNQ

Self contained providing heat, food, and sewage treatment.








William

YES! every house should at least include a greenhouse built onto it. climate control and fresh food? how can you not do this?

[guido]

Originally Posted by William

How about a house...in a greenhouse?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30ghnDOFbNQ

Self contained providing heat, food, and sewage treatment.








William

Very sweet. I wonder how much supplemental heating would be required to make it work in New England??

[seanile]

Originally Posted by guido

Very sweet. I wonder how much supplemental heating would be required to make it work in New England??

they mentioned the avg temp in Jan being 27d F, so probably not so much.

[William]

I think it would be doable in NE....weather-wise. Codes may be another thing in some municipalities.







William

[gemship]

Originally Posted by gomango

Hmmm, let's see here.

$50,000 for forty acres in northern Minnesota near the BWCA.

http://www.bearislandland.com/data3837.html

Wee Cabins are running about $150-$300 sq. ft.

http://www.weecabins.com/index.php

They are popping up around the Ely, MN area and are gorgeous.

We are thinking full solar and generator back up.

Also looking into Tesla Powerwalls.

https://www.tesla.com/powerwall

Wood burning stoves also seem very attractive.

We'll likely make some choices right after we get the boys out of college.

You hit the nail on the head or is it highlighted the elephant in this room. Here where I live in Gloucester,Ma. we have so many building codes that have to be met with permitting that it's impossible to build a container house. Even if you own the land unless....you put it on wheels and run a dam extension cord to the house of any said property parked at. Oh and hopefully the doors always open for the crapper and the shower and the pantry.

[gomango]

Originally Posted by gemship

You hit the nail on the head or is it highlighted the elephant in this room. Here where I live in Gloucester,Ma. we have so many building codes that have to be met with permitting that it's impossible to build a container house. Even if you own the land unless....you put it on wheels and run a dam extension cord to the house of any said property parked at. Oh and hopefully the doors always open for the crapper and the shower and the pantry.

We are strongly considering this option in northern Minnesota.

We spend our summers up there anyway, so it would be nice to dial in the plan a bit and get on with the process.

[William]

I also find the differing construction methods very interesting as well. Straw bale, timber framing, concrete, earthship, glass, and even cord wood.

This is a longer video but interesting on cord wood construction. Very eighties but I'm sure the method is very much the same...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BqIQRKg8MPM






William