City Zoning Laws Allow Tiny Homes for the Homeless

Madison Wisconsin has changed its zoning laws to allow tents and tiny houses on property owned by churches and other non-profit organizations. The groups would need to have a management plan for sleeping areas, restrooms and parking, under the amendment. Occupy Madison’s “OM Build” initiative to create a sustainable village of “tiny homes” for the homeless … Read more

DIY Built-in Roll-out Bed

While many people can find a nights comfort on a futon or even a sleeping mat typically reserved for camping/hiking, most guests prefer something a bit more inviting. Even blow up mattresses can be cumbersome when your interior walls are less than 8-feet across. In this case, a folding bed is a perfect solution for … Read more

Mushroom Insulation

This insulation proceeded to literally grow in place inside the wall cavities, which already contained all the wiring and plumbing. In this way, the insulation actually glued together the pine boards used to build the framework of the house. This insulation process works because mycelium, or Mushroom Insulation grows into wood forms in just a … Read more

Reflections on Right Sizing

“The foxes have holes, and the birds of heaven have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head,” and so it is today for many of his followers. Despite all the warnings about the snares laid by moneylenders, despite the fact that gage mort is literally translated as a pledge to … Read more

Credit Where Credit is Due

While credit for the Tiny Home Movement can’t be assigned to just one person or house, there is one influence that seems to have held particular sway. The prohibition on small houses, itself, has probably done more to shape this movement and the houses most associated with it than anything else.  Loopholes in our antiquated … Read more

Website Offers Free Tiny Home Plans

The Tiny House Design website provides a combination of free and low-cost design tips while advocating for a more “self reliant and resilient life.” The site also provides, design concepts, help in locating help, workshops, and books together with lots of  free how-to advice. Consider the Source  Consider the First Source! “The foxes have holes, … Read more

Aljazeera Salutes the Tiny House Movement

A new infographic on Aljazeera describes the Tiny House Movement in the U.S. by summarizing the key differentiators. The network introduces the summary this way: “As city populations increase and rents rise, a new trend of living in small spaces emerges.” Consider the Source  Consider the First Source! “The foxes have holes, and the birds … Read more

Student Thesis Project Turns Bus Into Tiny House

Like many architecture students, Hank Butitta was frustrated. Frustrated that the projects he and his fellow classmates were painstakingly, time-consumingly crafting at architecture school resulted—almost always—in nothing. But Hank Butitta, unlike many architecture students, decided that, for his thesis, he would buy an old school bus and turn it into a flexible living space. The … Read more

Tiny House Can’t Be Moved

A downsizing dream has been stalled for one Anderson County man who spent his entire life savings building a tiny home that the state says is not certified to move into a mobilehome park. Bob Pritts built the 208-square-foot home himself. It’s only 8-feet wide and 26-feet long, but is equipped with a bathroom, kitchen, … Read more

Does Anyone Wanna’ Go Dance Upon the Roof?

Humans have grown plants atop structures since antiquity. The ziggurats of ancient Mesopotamia (4th millennium BC–600 BC) had plantings of trees and shrubs on aboveground terraces. An example in Roman times was the Villa of the Mysteries in Pompeii, which had an elevated terrace where plants were grown. A roof garden has also been discovered … Read more