Over the past 4-5 years I’ve been developing the ideas and desires that have ultimately led to wanting to go tiny with my physical living space:
Eliminate “operating” carbon footprint by 2025
Own my housing destiny on a manageable time scale and expense
Reduce dependency on centralized systems (e.g. the electrical grid)
They are super cute and seem like fun to build
In the early stages of design, I wanted to build it in a 20’ shipping container, the details of which can be viewed in the gallery below. Between meeting my partner (needing a little more space) and learning more about the legal side of living tiny, we ultimately decided to pursue a different route.
We chose to build a tiny house on wheels, as it seemed we could balance cost, location flexibility, size, and fit within an existing framework of laws and regulations that wouldn’t be impossible to navigate. Additionally, past the fact it is built on a trailer, many standard building methods (e.g. framing, plumbing, electrical) still apply so we don’t need to reinvent the wheel and can use common off the shelf building materials.
So far, we’ve completed the following, some of which I’d like to go into more detail on in future:
List of requirements. Functional requirements for the space on a high level.
Rough layout. External and internal dimensions, placement of entry points, windows, major appliances, and furniture.
Rough thermal sizing and design matrix of insulation technologies, energy usage, and cost. Heating/cooling efficiencies and energy usage.
Power generation and energy storage investigation. Rough energy generation and consumption models.
Electrical storage and distribution architecture.
Water distribution architecture.
Appliance size and technology. Refrigerator, stove, oven, dishwasher, washer, hot-water heater, and dryer.
Rough budget