Friday, July 13, 2012

Letting go is probably the most freeing thing to do with anything in life

Future vacation home of your humble hostess.

The title of today's post is a quote from northeast Ohio native Tim Nevits. Tim and fellow Clevelander Michael Rastatter are featured  in a story I wrote for this week's Fresh Water Cleveland about alternative green living: outside the box.

While Tim's new home will be tiny at 130 square feet, it's not quite as tiny as your humble hostess's future vacation home (pictured). Michael's project is a bit more generous with space, but it involves a unique construction element. He's turning four used steel shipping containers into a luxury living space.

I loved researching and writing this story and I surely loved meeting Tim and Michael. Now go read their stories and take a peek through a fresh point of view.

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9 comments:

Bill said...

Arent' these tiny houses just Airstreams with a pitched roof? Does Cleveland allow multiple little houses on a normal sized lot?

John Venlet said...

Interesting article, Erin, and the idea for the living spaces is just as interesting.

I'd seen the shipping container story, previously, and have even considered it for living quarters up at my trout camp, if I can come up with the quarters to make it happen.

Erin O'Brien said...

Funny you should ask, Bill. Yes, there are any number of zoning laws about how many dwellings you can have on a lot and many more that make living in a stand alone space that's under 500 square feet very difficult. Now then, is that an overbearing GOV telling you how to live on your own property, or is it just local folks voting for the laws and people they think will help keep up their neighborhoods a certain way?

Thanks, John. Here's one suggestion for your camp cabin.

John Venlet said...

Erin, I dig that ATC. I'd probably want 2 of them, as a matter of fact. Thanks for pointing it out.

Bill said...

Well, Erin, I'm a big believer in property rights. But, when you buy property in a nice community you know what the rules are. Height, color, size, impervious surface, maximum developable area, etc., are all part of the equation where I live. I've had my share of fights with city hall. Even locally, elections have consequences.

DogsDontPurr said...

@Bill~

You should have read Erin's article. She addressed the zoning issues over there. Duh.

@Erin~

Great article. I passed it along to a friend who is looking to build a kind of artist colony in Culver City. The container idea just might be the answer he has been looking for. His dream is to build affordable live-in art studios.

Way back in the day, he and I converted a bunch of warehouse space in Seattle into artist lofts. Those buildings are long gone now. But if we could replicate something like that using shipping containers....how cool would that be!

Bill said...

Must have missed that part, DDP. But thanks for pointing it out. I'm sure you're just trying to be helpful.

Erin O'Brien said...

DDP, as usual, you and I are ahead of the curve.

Anonymous said...

Hiya Erin

There are millions of Americans who are living in 48-square foot living spaces.

They're convicts, and a huge number of them are in penitentiaries due to lobbying by the private prison industry to support maximal-sentencing laws for low and mid-level drug crimes without violence.

Do you want to be party to the incarceration of your fellow citizens so private companies can make money?

For crimes that are non-violent?

Notify your local legislator...

MR