What is Small and What is Tiny

This is actually a continuation of the last post.
  Some have said that 120-150 sq ft per person is the boundary between too little, or not enough space in a Tiny House. Upwards of that, 200-400 sq ft is a Small House for 1 person or 2. You can imagine then, that 500 to 1000 sq ft is the about right for the average size family, of 2 adults and 2-3 children.

At present living like I am, it seems that a space of 150 sq ft would be tiny indeed. Adequate for temporary, and perhaps over a short haul (2-3 yrs), but hardly suitable for the long haul (5-10 yrs). That being 10 ft by 15 ft, adding that much again, would bring it up to either 30 ft by 10 ft shotgun house, or a 20 ft by 15 ft eehhhhhhhhh sort of not a shot gun ;-) at 300 sq ft. With a loft arrangement, this would be more than adequate for me.

One hundred and fifty square feet as starter, and outside sauna / shower would be more than adequate for a tiny starter home. By adding on another 150 sq ft would make it feel luxurious ;-) Throw in the possible loft, and I would be rattling around in it for the first year until I had spread out and filled up the corners LOL

Structurally it would be sound to go with the 20 x 15, as it would make ceiling joist placement and center support simple and strong. For a Cordwood house, making it 20 x 15 interior would make exterior dimensions, with walls at 18" , 23 x 18 ft..  This is a bit off from the 4 ft and 8 ft recommended denominators, but with a bit of juggling, it would be fine. Joists would span the 23 ft width, rather than the 18 ft., with the center posts at 12 ft from the outside. Perhaps too much detail for the present but have to start somewhere ;-) (adjusting this to 20 x 16 ft interior, and 24" walls renders a 24 x 20 ft exterior)

Building something like this does take a lot of sketching etc. but that leads to the problem of procrastination. Not knowing the circumstances at the time of initial construction, it is impossible to know what resources (money, trees, used windows, appliances, etc) will be available. It is entirely possible that things will be very tight, and only a shed would be built, or conversely, there would be lots of help and resources, and the full structure could be built in a summer. It is impossible to know. For that reason alone, it is prudent to keep sketching, and cogitating (HEY it is a word ;-) about the possibilities.

So the "Tiny" house option has to be considered as a first step. Or even just the Sauna, for a year as roof over my head, as resources are accumulated. This is the corundum of building your own home, and why Tiny Houses are becoming so popular in parts of the United States, during this Great Recession..

The advantages of going from Tiny to Small, also accrue to the Utility aspect of the building. The smaller the structure the lower cost of Utilities: Solar Heating, Electricity, Plumbing, and so on, and the less likely that one needs to hook into the commercial grid. The alternatives are numerous, from gas / propane stoves, heaters, fueled by a large exterior tank, to Solar and Wind power, or even heated water; The Internet is full of stories and sources for building without inflicting harm on the environment, and in addition adding 21st century amenities from unique and unusual sources. One doesn't need to go back to the 18th or 19th century way of living if one is willing to do due diligence in researching and pulling together ideas for replacing The Grid.
     Below I have added two sketches that I did up. Not that these are final ideas, just place holders. The side view is an ambitious undertaking, as it would require someone with extensive second story expertise to make happen. Something I don't have. A more likely outcome is a low crawl space type loft, about 4-5 ft high at most.

 In the floor plan, I have kept window space to a minimum. To the North I am thinking an attached shed or sauna, combination. Limiting wind entry opportunities to the North and North-West, as this is where we get our coldest winds from. The warmest winds come from the South and South-East.
  Have not included stairs or 'Loo' as I have not decided yet on how big or whether or not to include them. As the Kitchen counter takes up a large amount of space, you can gather that perhaps that will also be a work area as well as for food preparation. Maybe even a bar seating arrangement rather than a table. Still to be worked out.
    On the front, South, side, I have two 6 ft openings, one for a picture window, and the other for a sliding glass door. This with the door on the North side, takes care of the requirements of having two exits. The sizes of the other windows being 5 ft, is for Sun Light and Passive Solar Heat.  

There are a number of ideas percolating in my head, but at the present I am not ready to put them to paper, or electronic storage ;-)

Autumn Winds and Changing Colours Blowing Thru The Mind

A lot has happened since the last post. Seasons have changed and Winter is almost upon us, here in the Northern Hemisphere; and my life has been going through more changes, to suit the seasons ;-)
     I have moved to a room in a basement, with Shower/:Loo, and share the kitchen upstairs with my land lady. There was to be two rooms down here, but a "temporary" accommodation for a local teenage girl was necessary, so now there are three ladies and me sharing the kitchen. Mind Blowing though that is, I am surviving; rent is reasonable, and aside from some wasps that needed removing, has been uneventful LOL
     90% of my "stuff" is still in my daughter's basement, safe for now, and I have begun work on another Mini-Gym, using bungee cord this time. As well as a desk for the computer and writing. There is a narrow 7' shelf that I will be bringing here as well, for storage of this n' that. but for now it is minimalist living at it's best, in a 10 x 15 1/2 ft space.
     Which brings me to this blog. I could be writing about the 22 lbs (210 lbs down to 188 lbs) I have lost since moving out of my daughter's, and getting away from the fat and carbs diet; or having dropped my BP and therefore the pills I had been talking for it; or I could have written about eating without a stove/oven and using hot water to heat the food (other than the occasional use of the Micro-Wave); then again, how about the need for exercise, the atrophying of my right thigh, and what to do about it. But for this post, I'll settle for, What is Tiny and What is Small, with regards to housing...

      I have spent a few days in the past 2 months drawing diagrams of floor plans, trying to come to grips with that question, and HOW to go about building what I feel would be a livable home. The room down here, is Cabin Size, that with a smaller bed (it is a double or a queen, not sure) would be suitable for a few weeks in the Fall or Winter for hunting and fishing, but long term year in year out would be cramped. Even with a loft, though it would be better, it would not lend itself to having people (the kids or friends) over for holidays. And that seems to be the rub as they say; how do I entertain the idea of entertaining in this small space, even if I could fit more chairs and tables? The Space in Scarborough was adequate (kitchen, bedroom, washroom and two closets) and with addition of one room suitable for entertaining short term guests, but no very good for long, without the extra room.
      At the old place, at my ex's. was thinking of this, when I took out the measuring tape (never go anywhere without it ;) and measured the living room, and realized it was 21 feet by 12 feet... with the kitchen, dwn stairs entrance, and part of a bedroom. Did a non-scale drawing and could see the possibilities. Shrink the living room to 12 x 15, and a bathroom at the end, 5 x 12, as the first half to be built. then add the another side to it later, 10x12, for kitchen, and 10 x 12 for a bedroom den... lots of space (24x20) 480 sq ft. for one person to entertain; add guest cottages and it is more than adequate for having family and friends come to stay...
    This isn't the final story on what shape the house may take, but it is getting closer to an understanding of what I will need. A cabin is fine for a hermit, but for a real person, with family and friends, it would hardly be suitable. So back to the drawing board, and more thinking, but I feel that I am one more step closer to knowing...
     Oh, and about the weight, and the Mini-Gym: well, aiming for 185 by the end of October, and the Mini-Gym and desk to be brought over here in two to three weeks.