“Sometimes small is just too small, even in a city grappling with out-of-control real estate prices and a shortage of affordable rentals.
A couple of years ago, Ches Lam created a tiny, 250-square-foot house in his east side backyard as a guest cottage for visitors, but the Vancouver carpenter didn’t consider city bylaws when he converted his former workshop/garage into a living space.
Now it has to go.
Lam says his neighbours love the little cottage and have even rented it for their own guests, but someone has made a complaint and city inspectors have given him notice to get rid of the place.
‘It’s kind of heartbreaking, said Lam, 39, who has listed the cottage for sale on Craigslist.
‘People love it, except for the one neighbour. I really don’t want to sell it, but the city wants me to take it out.’…”
Just thought you might like to see some photos of SunRay’s latest creation — a funky little treehouse nestled in ponderosa pine trees, built during the recent 20th anniversary Natural Building Colloquium in Kingston, New Mexico. I have a bunch of images on my website here: https://www.theyearofmud.com/blog/
It’s a beautiful structure, particularly the roof. Hope you enjoy!
– ziggy
p.s. By the way, I’m greatly looking forward to the next book!
“Unique, off-grid, TINY Home located on a 46-acre agroforestry farm. Each beautiful, one room cabin has a wood-stove, built in double bed, writing desk and personal kitchen within its small footprint. Although tiny, each cabin is self-contained and have sufficient storage. The kitchen is equipped with a propane stove-top, open shelving and a counter-top water dispenser.
“We’re off-grid, with no electricity or running water! Our rustic cabins use a wood-stove for heating. A hand-pump well and rain catchment provides for all of our water needs.…”
Thanks to E. Johansson for this wonderful website.
“I am a registered architect with a passion for African vernacular architecture. I wish to connect with others with similar interests to preserve African vernacular architecture before it vanishes. The overall goal is a database, which currently does not exist online for most African countries.”
Yogan came to California from France and is exploring (and working wherever he stays) along the Pacific west coast this fall. I dropped him off in Pt. Arena (Calif.) 2 weeks ago and as he makes his way northward, he is shooting photos and posting them on his blog:
I took off early Wednesday morning with Yogan, my carpenter friend from France. This is Friday morning, so I’m not posting chronologically, but this is hot off the press: at breakfast this morning with Louie and Titsch*, this little boy walked up holding one of our Tiny Homes mini books, showing it to me. “Where’d you get that,” I asked.
“You gave it to me last year.”
Earlier this morning, I’d given a Tiny Homes On the Move mini book to a 3-year-old girl sitting at our able and she started going through it page by page and then said, “This is really cool.”
Made my day, to say the least. Kids are with us.
Here’s Kyle Radic, driving south to San Francisco with his mom and she said he’d brought along his favorite book:
Photo by Titsch Jones
*Titsch and I were born on the same day (not the same year), and my mother’s maiden name was Jones, so I consider him my brother. He’s from Wales.
I went to see the Rainbow Girls Friday night and thought they were fantastic. Great vocal harmonies, and they all kept switching instruments. After they finished, my son Will (a drummer) and I were talking to them outside the bar and Will mentioned that I had published Tiny Homes and one of them screamed, “Oh I love that book!” Pretty soon we were hanging out with all 4 of them. They all knew at least one of our books.
“To give new meaning to the phrase “living out of a suitcase”, one hotel in Lunzenau, Germany, has made it possible to… well, stay in one.
For just €15 (S$23) a night, guests can enjoy staying in one of the world’s smallest hotels.
Each minuscule 2.7m by 1.5m room in the “Kofferhotel”, or Suitcase Hotel, can accommodate only two guests, and includes bunk beds, a toilet and a sink. There is an outdoor shower.”
“Sometimes small is just too small, even in a city grappling with out-of-control real estate prices and a shortage of affordable rentals.
A couple of years ago, Ches Lam created a tiny, 250-square-foot house in his east side backyard as a guest cottage for visitors, but the Vancouver carpenter didn’t consider city bylaws when he converted his former workshop/garage into a living space.
