Tiny Home for the Homeless: Project Update.

Back on October 6th, I began a blog post about a project I am involved with through Rochester Greenovation, in Rochester, NY.  I loaded the post up with so many photos, videos, links, new developments, and so on that I thought it best to start a new post about it instead of adding more to the original one.  If you'd like to follow the story from the beginning, you can click here.

 Tiny House Project sign that greets visitors to Rochester Greenovation.

Just as a quick refresher...  The idea behind this tiny house project is to build a prototype tiny home for a homeless person using mostly materials that would otherwise wind-up in a landfill.  The tiny house prototype itself is a work in progress, but the progress thus far has been more in the exchange of ideas between group participants than in the actual building of the structure.  The merits of various materials, sizes, shapes, heating methods, and amenities have been the focus of a lot of the discussion.  The initial idea of building on a trailer has been scrapped for a couple of weeks now.  

Jay Rowe, Rochester Greenovation Executive Director, in the beginnings of the tiny house project.

We learned that pallets vary a great deal in size, and that it can take a while to gather and sort through a bunch to find several that are similar enough to actually work with.  Currently we have four 40" x 48" pallets arranged on the floor forming an 8' x 6'-10" rectangle, and sitting atop three parallel 100" 2x6s.  There are a few pallets sitting upright around the edges suggesting walls for the tiny home-to-be.  Next to the house there is a bin with materials gathered for possible inclusion  We will likely cover the pallets that make-up the floor platform with 4x8 sheets of 1/2" OSB  cut to size as our finished floor material.  We may use hollow core doors as our roof sheathing material, and discarded corroplast signs as shingles for the roof and side walls.  The walls, ceiling, and floor will need insulation of course, and materials ranging from crumpled plastic bags, denim scraps, rags, and fiberglass ceiling tiles are all being considered.    

At this point, I'm just going to give you a little tour around the Rochester Greenovation building where we are meeting and building the tiny house.  I took a bunch of photos inside to give you an idea of some of the resources already within the Greenovation building.  Depending on when you view this, there may or may not be more added to this post after the photo tour.

Outside of the Rochester Greenovation building, home of the tiny home for the homeless project.

Salvaged sinks.

Salvaged windows.

Materials being considered for making the tiny home secure for its occupant.

Salvaged cabinets.

The beginnings of a tiny home made of materials that would otherwise wind-up in the waste stream.

A week later, and there is a bit more progress on the tiny home...

The tiny home as of Saturday, 11/10/2012, complete with tentative window in place.

Another, similar view.  Door in background is a candidate for the entry.

I measured-up what has been built so far, and got some input in terms of the group's current thinking about door placement, sleeping loft, and general layout.  I guess I had better start thinking and drawing something up.  Keep watching...

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