Turnbull Tiny House

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Building Parties & TinyRaisings

This summer, come learn to frame a house, wire a solar panel and explore sustainable design! I'll be hosting 5 weekend 'tinyraising' parties at the Governor's Academy. (1 Elm St. Byfield, MA. ) You're welcome to come for a morning or afternoon, or for the whole weekend.

I pledge a cooler eternally full of sodapop, a great BBQ dinner each Saturday night, and a lot of fun building with friends. The Buildings & Grounds team has generously lent me tools and space, and you're welcome to bring your toolbelt and friends if you like. If you're coming from out of town, I can help you find a place to stay. I'll start at around 9:00 each day and encourage trips to Plum Island for a swim when we need it! Come as you are and as you can.

Here are the weekends:

June 21/22
June 28/29
July 12/13
July 25/26
August 2/3

The site is the Savage Buildings & Grounds Facility, and I will be there most of the summer. You're welcome to drop by anytime to say hello, check out the project or spend a couple hours with a hammer. Email turnbulltinyhouse@gmail.com or call 978.758.1051 to let me know if you're coming or if you have more questions.

We'll be logging our progress here on this blog.

Finally, if you have any surplus building materials (windows, lumber, etc) that may be appropriate for the project, you're welcome to call or send an email; I'd love to be able to recycle your stuff.

I hope to see you this summer,

Elizabeth

Sponsors:

Planning for this project, I researched environmentally-considerate materials and contacted the 'best in class' based on my findings. Explaining my project, I received generous discounts and donations, and was approached by awesome companies that I hadn't yet discovered. I'm proud to be showcasing the following companies with the Tiny House:

The Green Cocoon: Agriculturally Based Spray Foam Insulation. For r-value and natural content, this soy-derived foam is a winner. This foam pays for itself in energy savings while emitting no CFCs or carcinogens.

ATAS: Metal Roofing will keep the Tiny House dry and maintenance-free for the next 50 years. Unlike many roof materials, aluminum is easily recyclable. Lightweight and strong, it cuts down on fuel costs in transport and won't fly apart with Interstate-95 windloads.

The interior walls will be faux painted by the all-female team at Samarra faux painters. Beautiful, creative and containing very-low VOCs, their painting is out of this world.

The floors, like all the wood in the structure, are certified by the Forest Stewardship Council. Mine come from Wood Flooring Design in Salisbury, MA and are finished in a low-VOC resin.

Heat comes from an efficient closed-loop propane heater from Dickinson Marine.

Paint and finishes come from Green Depot in Stoneham, MA and GreenSource Supply in Braintree, MA. These two stores are bringing alternative products to market and are the place to go for healthy paints, green carpeting and good advice.

The ceiling is made of great old sails from Jenny Doane, founder of Second Wind Sails in Gloucester, MA. She and her team make cool handbags from recycled sails.

Light! Osram Sylvania donated low-energy CFL and LED bulbs to stretch my solar-powered light budget.

During this time, I have been working for O'Neil Fine Builders in Beverly, MA as their sustainability coordinator, greening their building projects. They've lent practical expertise, surplus materials, advice generous patience and a keen eye for good design & craftsmanship.

Meals, snacks, seltzer & sustenance were generously supported by Susan & David Turnbull and Pat & Jessica Graney.

Finally, The Governor's Academy has lent tools, workspace and access to some of the greatest practical intelligence I've run across. Without the Governor's Buildings & Grounds team and their facility, this project couldn't happen.

The Plan:

In the fall of '08, I'll matriculate to the Yale School of Forestry to study Urban Ecology and Environmental Design. I am interested in living this ecological design experience and have decided to build a wee house and site it in on campus or in the yard of a benevolent New Haven citizen.

Inspiration has come from many places, but most significantly, from the renegade brotherhood of designers shrinking their floorplans and footprints.

My goals for the project are below, but the primary goal is to have fun and to bring my friends, family and community into the project. I will be hosting building workshops and several tinyhouse building parties this summer.

Turnbull Tiny House

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Building Parties & TinyRaisings

Press

Sponsors:

The Plan:

Big picture of the little house

Inspiration