GENERAL QUESTIONS:

Not for profit? Why not become a non-profit and sell tiny houses?
I studied this carefully and it all comes down to one reason: too much government. Establishing a non-profit corporation is fairly simple and once approved by the State and Federal authorities, it brings a lot of seemingly great benefits. But like most thing, the benefits comes at a price. In this case the price is the burden of accommodating oversight and regulatory procedures. For example, a non-profit company must maintain a steady base of donors and contributors to match other income, even if a company doesn't need to solicit grants and gifts. Non-profit corporations are neither small, simple, or easily sustainable. We make every effort to be socially responsible, including minimizing real profit.

Why does a tiny house cost more than other houses?
This one is easy, the answer is "condensed quality." Almost any small or tiny house can be built for a few hundred dollars, but only a house engineered to meet or exceed building code requirements can be truly a safe and simple sanctuary. A tiny house should use only the highest quality materials, in fully sealed insulated (walls, floors, windows, ceilings), and designed to be deconstructed and reconfigured as needs change over years (and years) of use.

What the heck does wabi-sabi have to do with tiny houses?
The fundamental principle of wabi-sabi is that nothing last, nothing is finished, and nothing is perfect. The lesson in our book Living SMALL is that a small house will (should) evolve over time because it's part of a process that parallels the evolution of the life that it encloses. As such, a tiny house must be designed to change, move, and not participate the materialistic consumptions of any attempt to be perfect. Like the houses of squatters, settlers, and workers on any country's frontier, when its time to move on, the energy in a tiny house should melt into the environment, deconstructed, salvaged, captured and embedded in some other form.

Back to top

CONSTRUCTION QUESTIONS:

What about planning and building codes?
There are two kinds of codes regulating construction in most parts of the United States. The first is a planning code that sets restrictions on occupancy type, size, and placement on a piece of property. The second is a building code that regulates the structure, ventilation, and quality of the building itself. Important is that in most cases these codes are only applied to habitable space, with greater than 172 sq ft of footprint. That’s why garden sheds and other outbuilding in a yard are usually exempt from both codes. Every jurisdiction is different however and some may require engineering calculations and a professional license for construction.

What about metal versus wood framing?
Metal resists rot, insects, and contamination. IMHO this means it can be both cleaner and more sustainable. It's cleaner because it can be cleaned before assembly. It is sustainable because once manufacture the material can be reused or recycled. Reuse is obviously the better choice and it is important to minimize cuts and trimming to maximize the potential for reuse, either as a complete assembly (wall or floor panel) or as individual pieces. Also important is that metal studs are a fraction of the weight of wood, making them lighter to assemble and ship. Metal studs also offer greater strengh because they work together as a system, simplifying the overall structure.

What's a moment frame?
This is a technical term for the rigid steel skeleton of a building. Just like a high-rise tower, the NEST is engineered to be supported by its moment frame. The frame prevents twisting and bending and provides overall strength, with a minimum materials in the simplist configuration. The strong and light frame maximizes flexibility and makes it easier to change cofigurations for different user needs. The moment frame also allows wall and roof panels to be bolted into place -- and unbolted when the NEST is deconstructed and/or reconfigured over the years.

Should I just buy a wood kit and build a tiny house?
Most kits are good investments in that they make what may at first appear to be a simple project a lot simpler for the average do-it-yourselfer. Some come complete with precut materials, while others are pattern books with plans, specifications, and complete lists of materials. Keep in mind however, that almost all do not come with foundations (and sometimes floors) and require skill and experience to install (correctly).

Can anyone build a tiny house?
Almost anyone can build almost anything, but the quality of the effort depends greatly on a combination of skill, tools and equipment, and time. Skill comes with experience and experience is a kind word for surviving many errors, mistakes, and frustrations. Tools and equipment are technical instruments that include an understanding of the right materials and how they must be installed. Time is something we all understand.

Why not put a tiny house on wheels?
A great idea is to put a tiny house on wheels to avoid planning and building codes. A tiny house on wheels is a vehicle and therefore thought to fall outside of regulatory codes. Of course because it is a vehicle it brings on an entirely different set of ordinances. Also keep in mind, most codes do not allow overnight camping even in a self contained RV parked in a driveway. The more "invisible" a tiny house on wheels looks, the better.

What if I move or want to relocate a tiny house?
Portability and deconstruction is just as important as construction in a sustainable world. Most tiny houses can be relocated by either lifting them up or deconstructing them in order to relocate them (or rolling them away). The trick of course is minimizing energy and loss in the relocation. IOW, the structure and finishes must be durable enough to withstand the relocation. This makes deconstruction an important design criteria.

Why not just buy a shed and convert it?
It's possible, but keep in mind sheds are built for storage. Many do not have floors, almost all do not have foundations and in a few months they can become very unhealthy spaces. They are cheap though and in many cases, they may serve a short term purpose and a few months of isolation. But IMHO, a tiny house should be built as a long term sanctuary, a space that can grow, evolve and change over years of use. The house should form itself around its owner to fit like a glove in support of their personalities and interests.

Back to top

QUESTIONS ABOUT THE NEST:

What's the point of the NEST?
The NEST is an experimental structure that is used to test different forms of construction communications. This includes two and three dimensional construction documents, sequence animations, and graphic narratives. The NEST is not a traditional cabin or a tiny home. It is intended to be a simple and straightforward space, yet purposeful in its goal of defining a sense of place in it's purest form. It is a collection of basic shapes, with minimum decoration, clean materials, highest quality, and disciplined design. Whenever possible, the simplest solution is applied to sound engineering and construction practices that can then be documented using a variety of construction communications media. It's this media that underscores the mission of Insitebuilders.

Is the NEST really a healthy house?
No, but it could be if it were built with meticulous attention to all possible sources of contamination. Current documentation and illustrated specifications go along way toward making it a healthy house. If material specifications and finishes are carefully considered and materials are thoroughly cleaned prior to assembly and it is sealed quickly during assembly. In a medical emergency, the NEST could go all the way to a “pure” space, but the cost of the structure would rise proportionately. Most important is that there must be careful attention to healthy sources for heat, water, and power. This equipment must be designed into racks similar to those found on the International Space Station, isolating potential contamination from the habitable center. These special considerations would be an interesting challenge to document.

Why is the NEST off the ground?
The idea is to minimize ground contact (footprint) and maximize access, ventilation, and air flow around the space. This provides natural ventilation in warm climates, but is also important in wet and freezing soil conditions to prevent rot and mildew. Important is that the underside of the floor must be sealed and the floor itself must be insulated to control the flow of air and moisture into the structure. Insulation and vapor protection are high enough to minimize heating and cooling loads, allowing body heat and the use of many unique environmental technologies such as solar heating and photo-voltaic collection.

Is the NEST easy to assemble?
Not easy, but prefabrication and constant improvements have reduced the tools and skills necessary to build it a torque wrench, screw driver and the ability to follow a list of instructions. In addition, most of the layout and leveling that is difficult in house construction involves “fuzzy” assembly with the NEST. For example, heavy gauge, zinc coated metal studs are predrilled for field assembly with screws according to matching numbers. This means they can be adjusted and even disassembled during construction.

What makes the NEST sustainable?
The goal of the NEST is for its presence on the Earth to be as small, simple, and sustainable as possible. Its size searches for the absolute minimum necessary to sustain its function as a purposeful, private and special space. That function is of course defined by its owners, but the simplicity of its design makes the NEST ultimately sustainable. This means the NEST refuses to be consumptive. Its modular design minimizes waste and is as close to 100% recyclable as possible. Decoration is eliminated to increase the focus on its essential meditative spirit. At the same time, it is clean, strong, and deconstructable, which makes it not only relocatable, but its materials can be reused, expanded, and reconfigured.

Does the NEST meet local building regulations?
Local codes will vary, so every NEST installation requires a call to local planners and building inspectors. In most jurisdictions, tiny buildings like the NEST are exempt from building codes, especially when they do not have utility connections like water, sewer, gas, or electricity. In some jurisdictions, relocatable buildings like the NEST are excluded from building permit review because they do not have permanent foundations and can be easily removed. Most codes also allow small buildings to be placed in setback areas, though the NEST should not be placed where it becomes a visual obstruction, similar to a high fence. Important is that the NEST has been engineered to withstand high wind, seismic, and snow loads.

How was the NEST developed?
The idea for the NEST was first used in a set of cartooned construction drawings for a 40 sq ft self-erecting shelter for 6 people in a NSF proposal more than 30 years ago. It was not funded and would have been a disaster to manufacture, but it led to further research into three dimensional construction drawings, animations, and building information models. The research explored variations on tiny houses, including a self-contained home called Jeremiah, a research building called the Gravity House, and the Erectable Hypergraphic Trainer, once used to teach environmental technologies. Most of the ideas for the NEST come from several years of graduate school (PhD) research into squatter homes and informal dwellings in the so-called third world. This work included graphic animations and three dimensional modeling of design and construction techniques used in squatter housing along the US-Mexican border, agricultural squatters in Baja California, and land invasions in Honduras, Nicaragua, and Peru. These homes are uniquely small, simple, and sustainable -- a long story I hope to write about after the current book (next year).

Isn't the NEST too small for real comfort?
IMHO no space is too small, many live comfortable lives in campers, boats, and recreational trailers. IMHO a smal space focuses the mind and stimulates ideas because it allows more control of ones lifestyle, reduces consumption congestion and distracting objects, and provides isolation and privacy. Examples include, Henry Thoreau's home on Walden Pond or George Bernard Shaw's 8 foot square writing studio. Many, if not all, writers, poets, designers, inventors, artists, and thinkers maintain some kind of private space, where they can concentrate on (or get away from) their thoughts and ideas.

Back to top

ASK ANY QUESTION:
Email: question@insitebuilders.com