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.