Architect's Dream House: Less Than 200 Square Feet • Hacker News Board

Re: Architect's Dream House: Less Than 200 Square Feet

#101

Post by ghaff » Sat, Dec 28, 2013, 4:10 PM UTC

rsync wrote: post #55

clarkm wrote: post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I just finished watching BBS: The Documentary and noticed the same thing. It seemed like everyone they interviewed had an entire room full of old computer equipment. They had boxes of software, walls of hardware manuals, stacks of monitors, cabinets of capacitors and resistors, rows of soldering irons, and at least one fully-equipped workbench. Up until the past decade or so if you wanted to be a serious computer ent…

BBS: The Documentary is so, so wonderful.

If you liked this, you'd probably also like Get Lamp--also by Jason--which is about interactive text adventures in general and Infocom in particular. I'm probably biased because I know a lot of the people in the film but I thought it was great. (And more of a true film than BBS.)

Re: Architect's Dream House: Less Than 200 Square Feet

#102

Post by perlpimp » Sat, Dec 28, 2013, 4:13 PM UTC

nostromo wrote: post #16

I think technology is the enabling factor behind the tiny house movement. Books, CDs, movies, photos, files, paperwork, videogames: all compressed down to the size of a hard drive. So many random gadgets have been replaced by a smart phone, like camera equipment, phones, flashlights, calendars, etc. Now people are ditching TVs as well and just using iPads and laptops to watch video. There are other more subtle things…

I am so looking forward to trimming my possessions down to a carryon suitcase and a backpack. Will replace my computer with macbook air, ipad with ipad mini and keep my kindle, get rid of my SLR with small sony pocket camera and be on my way.

I think house in the article is maybe 150sq feet too small, I like to have friends over from time to time. But for one person it is almost perfect.

Re: Architect's Dream House: Less Than 200 Square Feet

#103

Post by officemonkey » Sat, Dec 28, 2013, 4:25 PM UTC

GuiA wrote: post #85

officemonkey wrote: post #83

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've got 30 lineal feet of bookshelves in my house that are filled with books I bought over the last 30 years. If I lived in my sister's house, I'd have to get rid of 80% of them. I could do that, but I don't have to, so I don't.

Books are the one thing that a subgroup of hackers has a hard time parting with. I'm fairly minimalistic with all of my possessions, but books... man, I would have a really hard time getting rid of my library :(

I'm a lot more pragmatic. If Amazon told me they would give me an ebook version of each book I sent to them, I would immediately get rid of 90% of my books (everything except my coffee table books and a couple dozen books that hold sentimental value.)

Re: Architect's Dream House: Less Than 200 Square Feet

#104

Post by ghaff » Sat, Dec 28, 2013, 4:31 PM UTC

infinotize wrote: post #98

Is there anyone on HN who doesn't aspire to the minimalist, tiny (usually urban) home, outsourced lifestyle (by that I mean, laundry service, car rental, eat out vs cooking, etc)? I'm genuinely curious.

I'm sure lots don't. I see the attraction of an urban lifestyle but I also like the space and quiet of where I live in the country--and the ability to hop in the car and go somewhere with canoe, skis, etc. (And I enjoy cooking. I travel a lot and find that having to eat out gets old after a while.)

Re: Architect's Dream House: Less Than 200 Square Feet

#105

Post by nogridbag » Sat, Dec 28, 2013, 4:34 PM UTC

voltagex_ wrote: post #21

I'm in a wheelchair. Brand new houses built with stairs make me sad. I've often thought I'd love to work with an architect to design accessible houses: it's not just for me, anyone with limited mobility or energy would benefit.

Yes I agree. A family member is in a wheelchair/power chair and where I live, it's nearly impossible to find single level homes unless you build new. There home was recently modified with a $16,000 elevator and honestly it's barely accessible. A power chair just makes it into the elevator and there's absolutely no room to turn inside the lift.

I wish there was more interest in accessible vehicles as well. Outside of the Kenguru which can't go up hills and is limited to 25MPH (since it's NEV) there aren't many other options which allows a power chair user to drive (without transferring).

Re: Architect's Dream House: Less Than 200 Square Feet

#106

Post by apunic » Sat, Dec 28, 2013, 4:40 PM UTC

Macy Miller's Tiny House is the trend but there are way nicer implementations for just double the price: http://www.ecospacestudios.com/

Re: Architect's Dream House: Less Than 200 Square Feet

#107

Post by oceanician » Sat, Dec 28, 2013, 4:56 PM UTC

zephjc wrote: post #30

The subreddit /r/tinyhouses has lots of this sort of thing, and is a pretty good collation of various blogs and articles on the subject, with some pretty decent conversation.

http://www.reddit.com/r/tinyhouses

Re: Architect's Dream House: Less Than 200 Square Feet

#108

Post by TacticalCoder » Sat, Dec 28, 2013, 5:08 PM UTC

nostromo wrote: post #16

I think technology is the enabling factor behind the tiny house movement. Books, CDs, movies, photos, files, paperwork, videogames: all compressed down to the size of a hard drive. So many random gadgets have been replaced by a smart phone, like camera equipment, phones, flashlights, calendars, etc. Now people are ditching TVs as well and just using iPads and laptops to watch video. There are other more subtle things…

"For example, I haven't needed to iron a shirt in years because nice shirts come out of the dryer looking perfect. So no need for an iron or ironing board."

I'm more in the "minimalism but within a big property" than in the "minimalism within tiny houses" movement but I'm curious about these "nice shirts" that do not need ironing: would you have any brand / links? (genuinely curious for I wouldn't mind getting rid of my iron)

Besides that I find watching a movie on a 15" MacBook or, worse, an iPad to be a terribly bad experience and, honestly, a 42 flat TV (which isn't big by any mean) isn't something that takes up a lot of real estate.

Not related to your comment but I'd say that "minimalism" looks better (for properties, for paintings, for UIs, ...) when there's lots of "free space" around. These tiny houses look kinda weird: I prefer Steve Jobs and his couch + stereo in his big empty living room : )

Re: Architect's Dream House: Less Than 200 Square Feet

#109

Post by timmaah » Sat, Dec 28, 2013, 5:14 PM UTC

viame wrote: post #88

You can compress these things and a lot of people have, but to live like this is another story. I myself build homes, apartments, I also design kitchens, did flips, and I can tell you that I have not met one person that could live in a tiny box like that. Yes, it is a dream of everyone, to be very simple and live like this, but this is not going to happen. She moved from 2,500sqft to 200sqft, why? You don't wake up o…

I happily live with my wife in a 160 sq ft RV and have met tons of happy couples over the past year doing exactly the same.

Re: Architect's Dream House: Less Than 200 Square Feet

#110

Post by cenhyperion » Sat, Dec 28, 2013, 5:14 PM UTC

z92 wrote: post #43

The difference is 'Family'. Inevitably you will need to have a partner and say, four children, for the human race to survive. At that point you have to go the traditional route.

>Inevitably you will need to have a partner and say, four children, for the human race to survive.

No, you personally won't. Plenty of people go their entire life without raising children and yet the human race continues to grow.

And there's nothing stopping you from raising a family in a small space. My family spent 6 months in a ~700 sq ft apartment in Chicago when I was growing up.