The building as a Precedent

I have just recently re-found a PDF which I introduces the design and construction which produced C3, which followed the small building I have been living in [C2 - the C representing Castle]. C3 can be seen in the above photo, next to its C2.

I have included this as a reminder that the building I have been living in was the first version, in a series of experimentation, and that it was a learning tool. In this way the issues and problems which I have illustrated within the 'Living with the Castle Report' become more significant, and can be seen as quite valuable.

How its been.

After a couple of fairly unorganised and busy weeks I finally have a chance to reflect on how the project is going and whats the next step.

I really haven't had to opportunity to inhabitate the building in the way I wish, and as such intend to bring this stage of the investigation to a close. This is a shame, but an outcome of the investigation and study life, and their differences. This should not be seen as a reflection of the building as a housing model, as it is just so lovely to live in and be in, and I think it makes you live in a nicer, simpler and more satisfying manner.

Over the last couple of weeks I have found myself continually removing items, initially the plants, then some clothes, then some teas and coffees from the building. This is a conscious thing, and Im reluctant to do this as it signifies me, moving parts of myself out of the building, lessening my relationship with it. The building still stands, in the yard as a reminder of its presence, but its now represents not a life, but a lack of life - a removal.

I now intend to begin organising the handing back of the building to YouthFutures, and finish preparing the buildings user manual. I am yet to set a date, however my original date [the beginning of easter] will most likely require changing due to study plans over the easter period.

Living With The Castle Report

I apologise for not posting much recently. School has returned and I have been keeping busy in the preparation of a report on the buildings suitability as a domestic building. This is now complete, thus I can now begin the task of preparing a Users Manual for future occupants, and hopefully get stuck into the rest of my studies.

The report is functionally driven, and as such is both limited in its scope and fairly dry reading, however the aim was not to create a beautiful piece of writing, but to provide helpfull infromation, which can hopefully assist in the design of future small buildings.

Living Issues

Im currently struggling to live within the micro home when the conveniences of a larger home are so close. This sounds silly, and upsets me to write (as I do really enjoy living in the micro home), but for a few fundamental reasons I seem to be spending more time in the bigger, normal house.

I think primarily because my partner lives in the larger house, and is a little reluctant to spend time in the smaller building (understandable as its my project not hers, and unfair that I should rope her into it more than I already have) I spend more time around her in spaces which we can comfortably share. The space within the mirco building is obviously smaller, and less comfortable for two people to occupy.

The space it self is adaptable, but difficult to adapt for two, especially when we are required to do quite different tasks, with different requirements. It also becomes difficult to step between different tasks (ie. the act of going from studying to making a tea or coffee which is simple and easy in the larger house, becomes more challenging in the smaller one as the preparation space and other occupy-able spaces almost play-off each other, and a reorganisation of objects is generally required) and to multitask efficiently.

Another issue which I have identified, and commented on is the lack of a fridge within the smaller building. I coped perfectly well in my last location by just using an esky, however when a fridge is present (as in the large house) I use it, without remorse. Esky's are high maintenance, less effective, smaller, and generally keep food worse than fridges.

Its difficult to explain why I seem to spend more time in the larger house, and every reason I think of could equally be said of the smaller house (ie. everything is grouped together and is convenient, which can be said for both, yet is different through experience).

I am now considering moving to a different location within Launceston to distance myself from the conveniences of 'big house living' and have a few possible sites.

While I dont really want to admit that moving to my current location has been a failure, it has been, and I think that moving to a different location would better provide for my requirements at this stage.

Sites of Interest Addition

I though it best to announce that I have added a link to My PhotoStream to the Sites of Interest area as the Slideshow only shows the most recent photos. The PhotoStream is a collection of all the images that I have uploaded specifically for the Slideshow and does not include any other images.

New Site

I am now settled into the new location and happily sited.

I am yet to address my privacy issues, but am living around them at the moment. I am also yet to fix the plumbing, or the bathroom door. The building travelled well, and apart from the door, and getting the building into (once in it was relatively easy to navigate) the driveway all went without drama.

I guess it needs to be said that the building doesnt really blend into its new setting, and has draw some attention to itself. This has mostly been in the way of young school children, who have excitedly labeled it a 'big cubby'. I should also mention that the convenience of a nearby fridge has resulted in me not yet using the esky. This is perhaps cheating, but I feel that I have already investigated this side of living in the building and that my primary goals relating to this new site focus on how my changing circumstances affect how I use the building spatially.

The new site is in a residential area, despite backing onto a small paddock and contrasts strongly with its previous site. I have been instantly more aware of security and privacy, and really miss the connection that I previously shared with the old site. At this stage I feel that this particular model of housing (micro) is definitely more geared towards rural, and perhaps more isolated applications. I am also more reluctant to use the deck and to leave the door open when Im indoors.

Transport Success

Yesterday proved a great day for transporting small buildings, with the journey going ahead without serious drama.I was particularly busy in the morning and as such was unable to take before and after transportation photos (I was busy in St Helens and returned to the building after the truck driver and his assistant had arrived), or install a pin to secure the bathroom door.Subsequently during transport the bathroom door came off its runner and will need repair. This is frustrating, as the assumption would be that a door designed for a transportable building would be designed accordingly, however instead the building had a sliding door with no method of fixing its position - probably the least suitable solution.

Another observation was the difficulty that

reversing it into a backyard presents, given the building was design for this application. The truck which we used to move the building was quite long and found it nearly impossible to navigate the building (in reverse) into a normal sized driveway.

However once on site the building was easy to setup and prepare by myself, and given the location is fairly level, took little time. I am yet the solve my privacy issues, and at this stage am just being more cautious of my movements.

Tomorrows Big Move

Tomorrows the big move, back into Launceston.

The truck is set to arrive at approximately 10.30am, and once again I will attempt to get some photos on the journey. I will also take some photos of my internal setup before and after travel preparations are made, to illustrate what must be done to ready the building for transportation.

Everything going to plan, we should arrive back in Launceston at 3.00pm or earlier, beating the worst of the traffic and allowing ample time to set the building up at its new site.

Again I plan to document the site (very different that the current location, both in setting - residential as opposed to rural, and environment - concrete as opposed to soil etc.) and its implications, initially in relation to siting and setting up the building, and eventually for living in and around the building.

Boat Shed

In the Fingal valley is a small boat building on the edge of a dam.

The building is tiny, and sits out on the waterline, overlooking the water and the mountains beyond. Its location is poetic, both picturesque and serene, making you feel as if you should be in the building, waking up to and spending your days on the water and in the mountains.

The building appears to have power and a deck fronting onto the water, which looks as if it may have a canoe or kayak pulled up upon it.

I know little about this building but suspect that it may belong to the Scotch Oakburn College, as their Fingal Valley Campus is nearby, and its construction (along with the adjacent dam) coincided with the School purchasing the property.

Saturday the 13th's Gathering

On saturday the 13th we had a gathering onsite (at the house onsite not the microhouse) to celebrate the life of my mum. Many guests came, and quite a few were very interested in my micro house and as such I spent about an hour showing people the building and its features.
Everyone seemed interested in what it was for, how living in it was going, how practical it was, and what the future held for this building and its more recent versions.

A few questions came up more often than others, such as; why not a caravan?, why is it so heavy?, how much did it cost? and what is it for? A few questions also came up less so than others, such as if it come in any other colours?
Conversations were raised and a few good suggestion came up, such as when an electrician suggested the potential for connecting it to mains power (previously considered but not yet done, which makes sense given the buildings function and likely locations) and the installation of a power point next to the kitchens food preparation space (so simple, but shamefully unconsidered by myself).
Other people recommended alternative construction methods (weight reduction) for both the building and deck, fridge options, ladder options and even different sleeping arrangements, which; within the current buildings setup a group of 5 could sleep comfortably.
Another observation from the day was the difficulty posed by the tall step to get onto the deck, which could easily be remedied.
Overall however, it was a successful day and the building recieved more praise than criticism.

Moving back to Launceston

The time has come for me to get on the road again.
This friday, the 19th I shall be hitting the road, and moving the building back into Launceston where I intend to remain living in it until easter. I have talked to the truck driver who came to my assistance before, and he will be available to help me again.
I am not entirely certain where it and I will be based in Launceston, however I do have an approved and available location in mind. It will be interesting and highly valuable to see how I use the building under a new set of requirements and conditions.
Before moving I wish to fix a fastening for the bathroom door (will also allow users to lock the door), and consider the options for privacy as the windows are not perfect.
The little windows on the utility wall are not closable, and are difficult to cover individually, while both the main window and door work well during the day, but only obscure the view in at night.
I must also begin work on the bathroom plumbing and try to get the shower unit functioning.

Parkside Buildings

There is a series of little buildings quite near Georges Bay, on the St Helens Point Road. Im unsure of the 'parkside' areas history, however I assume that it was once a caravan park or similar due to the unusual locations (and planning) of buildings, general appearance of the area and its name.

This particular building is probably one of the smallest, and has remained unchanged for as long as I remember. In contrast about 150-200m away from this lovely building is a massive, recent home, which completely dominates the surroundings (as seen in the below image).

The building on the left could literally fit easily within the building on the rights double garage, and although not set within a garden, sits more happily within the landscape than the building on the right, which appears to have recently landed.

Living Outdoors

The quote I mentioned in the last post; 'By making the house and landscape indivisible, nature outside comes inside making us always aware of the power and spirit of the landscape we live in' (Page 34, The Owner Builder Magasine, Issue 35) pretty much sums up the idea which first drew me to small housing.

I am particularly interested in how small housing can emphasis the link between a building occupants, the building and the landscape.

I was initially draw to microhousing by the emphasis it places on outdoor spaces, and how a buildings occupants occupy the spaces around their homes as extensions of the building, essentially bringing the inside out.

However a more potent and perhaps less obvious side to this relationship is how the building, and its occupants, are informed by; and react to their environment.

I feel that I have felt this first hand, in my experiences living in this small building, and it is perhaps touched upon in Shay Solomons 'Little House for a Small Planet', however its an interesting field, worthy of further investigation.

Space in a Small House

Space in a Small House is an article by Bohdan Kuzyk found in the 1989 October - November issue of The Owner Builder Magazine.

It outlines the choices and considerations made when designing a small house as opposed to a larger one, principally 'that in the small house every bit of space counts and there is less of it' (Page 32).

It details the decisions made in the design of two buildings, the Mitchell House (plan 1) and the Jeffrey House (plan 2), which are both 12 sq (approximately 75 metres2), feature open plan living and respond to the changing requirements of their occupants.

A lovely couple of paragraphs resonate most strongly with me.

'By deleting the inessentials and placing emphasis on the design of space and simplicity, the house becomes a true shelter, not only protecting us from the elements, but alive and enjoyable to live in.

By making the house and land indivisible, nature outside comes inside making us always aware of the power and spirit of the landscape we live in' (page 34).

Thanks to Loren for emailing me a PDF of this article.

Faux Basin and Shower

I think it best to make a note that the basin and shower unit within the building's bathroom are completely for aesthetics, and are not plumbed up what-so-ever.

I have known this for a while now, and it really frustrates me. It makes me feel as if this building was made more for 'looking at' than actually 'living in', which I know is not the case..... but still, why not hook the basin and shower up?

Im now considering hooking it up myself, yet have not solved the issue of providing hot water to the building. There are a couple of ideas/methods I could employ but each has its own problems, and as such the issue requires further consideration.

Thus, at this stage I intend to hook-up the cold water and to further investigate my options as far as hot water is concerned, leaving the provision of hooking it up in the future.

Binalong Bay Huts - Part II

Two days ago I posted about a small group of Hut at Binalong Bay. Yesterday I went surfing twice with a bloke whose family are involved in one of these Huts, and was lucky enough to go and visit the Hut and have a couple of beer.

I learnt that all of the Huts are on 100 year leases on crown land, and have been there since Binalong Bay was known as Boat Harbour.

The Hut I visited had been in the one family for four generations, features beds for at least 3, a generous kitchen and living spaces plus an outdoor barbecue space.

Originally the 2 bedrooms and the living space was one large room, but it was renovated about 20 year ago. This renovation also included the addition of a toilet and shower, and the removal of the previous outhouse.

The future of these Hut is currently unclear with the council(?) intending to demolish them at the end of the leases for the construction of a larger parking lot (for the adjacent boat ramp/marina) and a visitor information centre. These plans have changed a couple of time, but has always required the demolition of these huts.

Notice in this last photo the size difference between the old and original, and the new behind it.

Thermal Comfort

I realised early on that this little building is generally comfortable, and behaves very well thermally.

On hot days, the interior remains cool and even after a cool day the building remains warm and cosy at night. The building is also very easy to get a breeze into, which assists even more on hot days (sometimes too easy, requiring fine tuning to stop objects blowing around inside).

I have also been very impressed by the extension that the front (deck end) loft makes externally, which shelters the door, and some external objects from rain. This essentially mean that even if the weather is poor, the deck is not completely unusable, and that I can still leave the door open without fear of the carpet getting wet.

Another observation is that since living in this little building I have become more aware of the weather, and better at predicting the next days conditions. I guess this is primarily because I'm 'closer' to the weather, in that I connect with it more frequently, and don't really loose my connection with it.

Binalong Bay Huts - Part I

Anyone familiar with Binalong Bay would be familiar with the little huts at the boat ramp.

There are three, simple little buildings, sitting in an unbelievable position (the best in Binalong Bay) on the waterfront.

These buildings have remained unchanged for as long as I care to remember (possible council issues? or plainly content with how they are..), and are some of the most humble building in a coastal town which has boomed in recent years.

Garden Guest Room

Set on the same property as the Builders Home, this little building features a guest bedroom and is set within an absolutely stunning garden (in an almost Japanese manner).

Overlooking a large garden pond, this simple little building blends into its surrounding and includes a deck, copper roof, potted plants and the guest bedroom, featuring a couch which folds out as a bed.

Incidentally, the garden which this little building is set in is the most amazing privately owned garden I have ever seen, and includes kinetic sculptures, stone obelisks, ponds, and some amazing kites and wind sculptures.

Builders Home

This little building was the first permanent structure built on a property just north of St Helens, approximately 40 years ago.

It was initially a weekend shack, for the bloke to come (sometimes with a guest) and stay while fishing. After a number of years the owner decided to build a new, larger home at which stage he moved down and lived in this building (full time for a couple of years) while the main house was under construction.

It features a open wood fire, daylighting (through skylights), one fixed bed and one fold down bed, storage (for wood outside, in cupboards inside, and beneath the beds) and a phone line.

This simple and cosy little cabin has stood the test of time and is now one one of the most brilliant tool sheds around.

Isolated BeachHut

I decided to go for a 4WD trek a couple of days ago in the hope of finding somewhere remote to have a dive, however instead I found an isolated fishermans hut overlooking the ocean.

The structure was nearly primitive in construction, reflecting how remote it was, and the simple requirements of its occasional occupants.

Local Microhouse

I went on a brief exploration of my sites immediate surrounding today only to find this little house. Set on a relatively small, but very nice block, this small building sits on a northern facing incline above a lovely little pond. Accordingly its northern facade is mostly glazed, unlike its southern front, which faces onto the driveway.

Surrounding the building are a couple of water tanks, a couple of dilapidated sheds (perhaps once chicken hutches) and an outdoor table and chairs, set under some shade on the left of the first image.

Microhouse views

These two photos are taken from the buildings front deck, at morning (approximately 8.30am) and at evening (approximately 9.00pm) respectively. These are the times I seem to use the deck the most, be it eating, reading or checking emails. I dont really use the deck much during the day, instead choosing to sit indoors with the door, windows or a combination of both open for views and fresh air.

I think this is primarily because the deck is not well sheltered from the high afternoon sun, which as I discovered yesterday (in an ill-fated reading expedition on the deck, reclining comfortably on a mattress) can be rather unforgiving.

Little Cob Cabin

Located on Mayne Island, British Columbia in Canada, this little cabin is primarily constructed of Cob, a mixture of sand, clay and straw. Cob is wet enough to mold, yet dry enough to build up without foundations while providing great thermal value.

The process of building with Cob is involving and labor intensive yet allows great freedom of form and expression, with walls no longer flat, and, more often than not, furniture built into the walls.

The use of materials, including Cob, ties the building to the landscape, and creates a bond between the built environment and its natural surroundings.

I found this building particularly interesting due to its odd form and scale, and the quality of internal light that it captures.

The full article is available here, and was found on the tinyhouseblog, a site which features numerous interesting projects, buildings, and ideas related, obviously, to tiny houses.

Camper Bike

I though I should include these images. These are from a set of nine photos which document this strange little building. The website also features an interesting shopping cart house, which is pretty novel, and a whole heap of van/camper drawings and paintings, less interesting.

The rest of the Camper Bike photos can be found here.

Thanks to Fi for sending me this link, way back in October 09.

Barry Lopez, Arctic Dreams

I have just finished reading Barry Lopez's study of the Far North, Arctic Dreams and found it thoroughly enjoyable. Lopez is a stunning writer, who seems to bridge the gap between the physical world around and the emotions and feelings that it evokes within us.

It reminded me of Gerald Durrells The Overladed Ark in the attention and significance it places on the lives and patterns of the animals and native people of a foreign land.

Lopez links us to a place through the stories he tells, making us feel as much a part of the landscape as the ice and the snow.

When describing a flock of 250,000 lesser snow geese at Thule Lake Lopez writes "What absorbs me in these birds, beyond their beautiful whiteness, their astounding numbers, the great vigor of their lives, is how adroitly each bird joins the larger flock or departs from it. And how each bird while it is a part of the flock seems part of something larger than itself. Another animal. .......... Their movements are endlessly attractive to the eye because of the tension they create between the extended parabolic lines of their flight and their abrupt but adroit movements, all of it in three dimensions". - Page 154 - 155.

The next book I intent to read is Henry D. Thoreau's Walden, the written record of his experiment in simple living.

Bushfire Threat

The recent bushfire south of St Helens was a possible threat to my microhouse (and site its currently located on) if the wind was to swing southwesterly this afternoon as predicted. As it happened, the wind did not come around, and the bushfire has continued burning towards Upper Scamander. I believe it is now mostly contained and no longer poses any real threat.

I have to admit that I wasnt really prepared had the wind turned as initially suspected and while I had the 4WD hooked upto the building I had no real idea what my plan would have

been, thus its probably for the best that things turned out the way they did.

Where to next?

I guess as some stage the question needs to be raised 'Where to next?'

The current plans involve staying at my current location until mid February, at which stage I intend to move back to Launceston in preparation for semester 1, 2010. I then plan to continue living in this building until easter or thereabouts, gauging how my experience changes under a different set of circumstances and requirements.

However, at this stage I do not know where in Launceston I shall be siting the building, and as such am welcome to suggestions and any ideas and/or comments anyone may have.

Missing Link Micro Building

A micro building designed by Ric Thomas of Missing Link Cabins and Cottages is currently being constructed in Hobart. This Class 10 building (under the Building Code of Australia) has a footprint of 4.5 x 3m, consists of two levels and is constructed of prefabricated steel panels (walls, floor and roof).

Natural light is brought into the upper level through the large skylights, while the lower level opens out into the existing landscape.

Ric is passionate about micro buildings and designing simple and elegant building solutions, such as his own footing system and floor panel locking system. Furthermore panels are design to be easily movable by a maximum of 3 people, and fit legally onto a normal truck/trailer thus requiring no special equipment or permits.

Missing Link Cabins and Cottages currently have a website under construction, which I shall link to when available.

Thanks to Paul for all his help and for these brilliant photos (including the Tasmanian Tiger which was too good not to include), and to Ric of Missing Link.

New Location Photos

The new location is at the top of a northern facing incline and is well sheltered from the early morning sun, yet receives plenty of afternoon sun. It was chosen as it was the most clear and most level place on the site which still allowed solar access for the solar panels.

It overlooks the adjacent paddocks, the nearby creek and surrounding native bushland.

In addition to its views there is the constant screaming of yellow-tailed black cockatoos, laughter of kookaburras and, come nighttime, blood-curdelling screeches of possums fighting.

Again its an absolutely lovely location, not quite the beach, but magnificent in its own way and alot more secure.

Internal Set-up

Now that I have moved in and had the chance to live in this building for a while I thought I better share a new interior photo illustrating how the building works in practice.

This image pretty much sums it all up. From this image you can tell that approximately half of the utility wall is taken up with either the kitchen fittings, utensils or is acting as food storage. This could be arranged better by installing some drawers (for cutlery and cooling utensils - most likely under the sink) and some hooks (for pots, pans, and tea towels). I would suggest that these two alterations could be done relatively simply, and would considerably reduce the amount of space required.

Likewise the failure to include a fridge means than an esky is essential for any prolonged stay in this building, but even my modestly sized esky does not fit anywhere. Another issue, which I think I've touched on before is the lack of enclosed storage for things such as potatoes, or valuables.

This all sounds pretty negative, which it shouldn't as the kitchen does work really well as does the rest of the storage space, with spaces well sized for books, plants, tools, shoes and even camp chairs. For example I have one portion dedicated to my recyclables, one for books and one with a photo, vase and space for my keys, spare coins, phone and sunglasses.

Furthermore the amount of space provided is ample for my needs and maybe even too generous, especially if the kitchen space was made more efficient.

Hinkle Farm Shack

Jeffery Broadhurst of Broadhurst Architects designed this diminutive single-room home, a few hours from Washington D. C as a retreat for his family.It is built simply from off the shelf components which echoes the simplistic, near colonial, mode of living it represents.

Its simple planning consists of three rooms, a kitchen, closet and a larger living/bedroom which completely opens to the east onto a generously proportioned deck. The building is approximately 42m2, and is only accessible via 4wd over a long and winding track of stones and grass. It utilises this remoteness and the surrounding environment 'bringing the mountainside shack to new heights' - Christopher Kieran, Architectural Record.

Thanks to Loren for emailing this one to me.

Things will be changing.....

Now the bulk of my headaches are out of the way (touch wood) I intend to begin commentating more about actually living in the building and the processes, pragmatics and possibilities that it presents.

Levelling the Building

Although I positioned the building on the most level site available it was still on mildly uneven ground. Thus this morning I went to work adjusting the position of the building, which could be done in one of two ways; A - I could chock-up the low side of the building (nearly impossible as it would require raising it considerably higher than the stands allow), or B - I could dig in the higher side of the building, which is the direction I took.

This is considerably harder to actually do than describing it suggests, as most of the weight is taken by the buildings wheels, which are very difficult to dig under and even harder to raise off the ground. In addition to digging the wheels in, both support stands (front and back) must also be dug in. Again all these things sound simple, but cannot be done together, and required the utilisation of a car jack and several blocks of wood. Note: Car jacks, designed for 750KG become nearly impossible to operate when lifting the lions share of 2800KG.

Anyways, were done now and it is as close to level as I think Ill be able to get it.

I guess the lesson here is that this style of building, when designed to be transportable, must accommodate uneven terrain.

Another day, Another move.....

Well, here we go again.

Today brutally started a 5.45am when I was woken by a bloke yelling 'hello, anyone in there? you do know your on private land......', this bloke was apparently the manager of the property my building was deposited on during the bungled robbery, and was evidentially none too happy. I discussed my situation with him, and informed him that as soon as the police had

visited, I was going to repair the damage caused, then hopefully relocate away from his property. He seemed mildly satisfied with my response, and continued on his way..... needless to say I returned to bed.

Later that morning I was visited by a couple of policemen, who were very nice, and even assisted me in the refitting of the deck to the rest of the building, a task that was going to be terribly difficult for one person alone. After they had left I returned to work repairing the other items of damage, before heading into St Helens where I purchased a new glass louver (which I later fitted) and organised a lift for the microhouse.

Everything seemed to be going so well as I returned and begun preparing my belongings and the building for relocation. At 4.30pm my lift arrived, a large tilt-tray tow truck. The truck would easily tow the building, however without a tow-ball we were in a bit of a pickle, and the building itself was wider than the tray, so again we were out of luck.

This left me again in a difficult position, not being able to leave the vehicle where it was, and not being able to move it. As a last ditch effort I returned to St Helens and borrowed my fathers old Toyota Land Cruiser. It's a fine vintage, and with over 470,000km's under its belt its definitely been around the block. Returning to the site I hitched the building on, took some photos, put the Cruiser into 4WD, and uttered some prayers. Initially I thought I was stuffed, the Crusier was screaming, and in top gear barely reaching 60KM/H, furthermore any incline caused a dramatic speed-loss, further adding to my worry, however slowly and steadily we crawled closer and closer to our destination, and just before dark we reached the property.

Now that we were here there was only one obstacle remaining.... the drive way.

The driveway is in fairly good condition for a mildly eroded gravel track, yet dips down to a small bridge over the creek, before rising again steeply to my intended site. This presented two serious problems; A - The creek sits in a valley, with slopes either way and there was a real chance of getting stuck at the bottom if I didnt make it to the other side. B - If I did make it to the top of the steep rise I would then have to content with a fairly difficult corner, and would probably have to limit my speed considerably.

After checking and rechecking the steep and very loose slope I finally decided to go for it, I had gotten this far and was not to be defeated. So down we roared, pushing the limits of 4th gear, vehicle screaming (approximately 30-35KM/H), building bouncing as we flew down to the creek, then up to the other side, lucking the corner, and achieving our goal.

We had finally made it.

Coastal Microhouse

I have often driven past this little building and would have to place it as one of my favourite buildings of all time. Its magnificently sited, overlooking 180 degrees of ocean, and seems to grow from and merge into the site. I couldn't imagine a nicer place to live or a nicer building to live in. Its use of materials and apparently simple planning create a building with real character, beauty and poetics. Just by looking at it, and driving past it I ponder the stories it has to tell, and the experiences it has to share.

Security and safety

Due to recent events I now feel unable to leave the building at its current location (or where it was originally) for fear of it being stolen, broken into or vandalised. Even if I was able to lock it so it was unmovable I am afraid that potential criminals would then break in and rob me, or failing that damage the building itself. This is particularly disappointing and is a real shame.

My intention is now to move the building to a safe location on private land, as soon as possible.

This is a real headache given the problems associated with moving the building, and the repairs which will need to be finished before removal.

I think an important aspect of home is the satisfaction of knowing that it is secure and safe, and that your possessions are also secure and safe. At the moment I feel none of the above, which is considerably difficult to handle.

Comano Cabin

The Comano Cottage, a weekend home, on Comano Island, Washington is slightly less than 110m2, yet has a commanding presence due to its garden wall which extends into the landscape.

It is timber framed and clad in Hardi Panels (Fibre cement panelling) externally and maple and cherry plywood internally.

It features a kitchen, bathroom and large living space on the lower level, and a sleeping loft set above the kitchen and bathroom as the upper level. Two set of french doors open up the living space and "In the summer, you can open up the doors and the house becomes a covered pavilion" - Carlander, Architectural Record.

Maintaining a garden and creating privacy from neighbours was an important consideration, with the garden wall addressing the privacy issue, sheltering the garden and making the building appear larger than it in fact is.

Since this building construction in 1999 the firm responsible for its design, Vandeventer + Carlander Architects' have been awarded the 2006 AIA/Sunset Magazine Merit award, and in response to several requests have made the cabins plans available for purchase. Its now known as the C3 Cabin and plans costs $850 US (Approximately $920 AUD) . "The design of this cabin was premised on three goals. First, to provide the required spaces for an extended stay cabin within a minimal footprint. Second, provide a quality of space and abundant natural daylight typically not found in this size of structure. And, third, to allow for simplicity of construction and maintenance" - Vandeventer + Carlander Architects'.

Thankyou to Loren for providing this one, the full article is available here.