I was introduced to the Tiny house concept by a friend some 7 months ago now. The idea resonated with my dislikes about the current housing situation and the way we just accept that a 30 year mortgage is a good thing. Yes there are good things to having a mortgage but I believe there are many alternative ways we can do housing in order to reduce the financial burden. In my case I have been flatting for 10 years since leaving for university. I have paid almost $80’000 in rent and the rental market in Christchurch where I live is continuing to increase at epic rates. As a product designer I thought this type of project would utilise the skills and knowledge I have well. I would be able to use CAD effectively to design the most fitting use of space and calculate weight accurately as I go engineering the parts and working drawings along the way.
For those of you who don’t know what a tiny house is, in essence it is a home built on a trailer. This means the house is in fact a vehicle and voids the building code and often costly consent processes required by council for permanent housing. For me the idea means a place to call my own without the pressure of needing a minimum 80K house deposit to live in a cold non insulated old house. It is that break I need to get out of the renting cycle and start putting my money into an asset.
To cut to the chase, I have decided to build a tiny house here in Christchurch New Zealand with the aim to be moving in (albeit into an unfinished home) by February 28th 2015. This is the date my current lease finishes up so this home will see the end of 10 years of flatting…I CAN’T WAIT!
This is the current layout of my tiny house. Design is being completed in CAD by Tinka Design located in Christchurch New Zealand.
This render shows a birds eye view of the current design. The bedroom is the loft up the stairs and the living and kitchen area can be seen to the right of the loft.
Render of current tiny house design concept. The overall design is a work in progress which will continue to develop as the build progresses.
This is the current trailer design. A couple in Auckland, New Zealand are currently building their tiny house. I really like the trailer so have gleaned ideas such as the C-Channel sides and under slung truss. This design is 7.2m in length so requires heavy RHS sections through the main columns to support the weight.
The design is well underway and the trailer which I have completed the design will begin construction this coming Monday! Very exciting to finally have the project begin construction. If you are keen to watch the project unfold do be sure to check in every couple of weeks to get the latest updates.
Join me on my journey!
For any further information or general questions don’t be afraid to get in touch.