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Architect's Dream House: Less Than 200 Square Feet

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

#121

Post by sliverstorm »

kaib wrote: post #41
Brakenshire wrote: post #19

This is fine in a warm country, or in a place where you're going to be in or out of your house all the time. Living in a cold and/or isolated place, being cooped up in such a small area would be unhealthy, you need to move around much more as a matter of course. Particularly if you're working at home, you'd have to be very proactive to avoid serious impacts on your health, because your lifestyle would be almost inher…

Having been raised in a cold and isolated country (Finland) I think you incorrectly assume that means a lot of time spent indoors. This can be true, but does not have to. I do think you are on to something with the idea of pods, most farmhouses where I come from are arranged in a number of small separate buildings.

Sure you went outside plenty, but did you go outside at night? Personally, where I live, when the temperature drops below freezing at night, I stop going outside when it is dark, and as the nights get longer that means at least 14 hours a day indoors.

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

#122

Post by sliverstorm »

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 So many random gadgets have been replaced by a smart phone, like camera equipment, phones, flashlights, calendars, etc.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…

Things like "not needing to iron a shirt" are nice (basically, labor-saving devices and technology), but doing none of your own cooking, laundry, coffee, mowing, car repair, etc is sad to me.

Life gets more empty when you live an outsourced life. I agree that "stuff" can get toxic, but rather than shooting for owning just a laptop and a single change of clothes, I instead aim to interact directly with my possessions. Do my own maintenance & repair wherever possible. It connects you with what you own, and encourages you to own reasonable things. Why would I want a house with six bedrooms and five bathrooms- I'm the one who will have to repair them!

Of course there are limits; a six-hour service job on my truck will be outsourced, especially as in my hands it would stretch to a twelve-hour job and I want to enjoy my weekend. But repairing my sink or changing the oil take a half hour.

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

#123

Post by SG- »

sliverstorm wrote: post #121
kaib wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Having been raised in a cold and isolated country (Finland) I think you incorrectly assume that means a lot of time spent indoors. This can be true, but does not have to. I do think you are on to something with the idea of pods, most farmhouses where I come from are arranged in a number of small separate buildings.

Sure you went outside plenty, but did you go outside at night? Personally, where I live, when the temperature drops below freezing at night, I stop going outside when it is dark, and as the nights get longer that means at least 14 hours a day indoors.

I go out every night and mostly only at night when it's -20C. I do stay in when it goes below that usually, you just need to get used to it and dress properly.

This is just something you need to change yourself and get used to, it won't get any easier if you just ignore the cold.

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

#124

Post by dubeye »

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 agree wholeheartedly. I spent the last 6 months living a nomadic life, staying in airbnbs, and all my worldy possessions squeezed into a single suitcase and carry on bag. This included an external monitor for my macbook air, walking boots, and well what else does one need really.

Last week I returned to the UK and rented a 2 bed flat, which turned out to be a mistake, I would have been happy in a studio. My decision to rent a 2 bed is based on my previous experience of having books, hifi separates, desktops. So now I'm buying books just to fill out the space and make it look less like I've been robbed. I prefer kindle. I'm definitely downsizing next move.

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

#126

Post by nawitus »

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…

Apparently there are "a lot of" ~200 square feet apartments in Helsinki (20m^2). The normal size of a single-room apartment is about 30m^2, though.

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

#128

Post by derekp7 »

zobzu wrote: post #69
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…

i like minimalism but to a point. i have a full workbench for example as i like to fix stuff on m own. not just computers, mind you. i also like creating physical stuff - i think most ppl on HN revolve around creating non-physical stuff most of the time. i also cook my own food more often than not. both are more economical _and_ i enjoy it. ive a 800sqft 1 bedroom in sf so its not that small either. workbench isnt in…

I know what you mean about physical stuff. Many years ago, when I'd finish a cool software project, I couldn't really show it to anyone -- it was just a bunch of gibberish to them. But once I started some wood working... I can still to this day show people my home made computer desk, book cases, etc. But none of my early software hacks still survives.

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

#129

Post by cwe »

walshemj wrote: post #113
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…

That is a sub par experience you can't compare a tiny i pad to watching a film on a say 55/60 inch screen with a decent sound set up. And a really efficient computer set up demands twin or triple monitors.

The retina iPads are higher resolution, color-calibrated and likely higher quality panels then the big screen you're talking about. And you can easily use high-quality headphones to get quality sound out of them as well. Maybe not surround-sound... yet.

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

#130

Post by viame »

timmaah wrote: post #109
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.

Yes, but you are traveling and working as a web developer. Try starting a family in a 160sq RV, and work from there at the same time. You will go insane and get a divorce after 8 months. (I totally made the number up).

I am not saying that people cannot do it, when I was little we lived in an apartment with very tiny two bedrooms and a kitchen (4 people). I was sleeping on bunk beds ... Unless you are poor, are traveling in your RV, are an eco freak, or you're living in a densely populated area (China, Korea etc), there's just no reason for you to live in a tiny place.

This tiny house, however, would be great as a cabin where you can relax over the weekend, get away from city life.

I agree what JoeAltmaier is saying.

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