Today’s post comes from Jack Kingsley, a freshman at Western with a keen eye for design. His post goes beyond tiny houses and into what other uses can be found for such spaces. Read on!

Great creativity and far too much space to work with! Some artists like it cozy, and only need a desk, door, or four walls to do what they love. These are a few examples of personal spaces people are building to help them let their creativity go wild.

For musicians all around, the right setting to record, or just jam out, is a critical part of playing freely. Not everyone needs a concert hall, though. The so-called Amplified Tiny House (above) is the home of Asha Mevlana, a member of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, and avid violinist. Her tiny house has two parts to it. The larger building is a 400 square foot living space and kitchen situated on a foundation. The smaller structure, nesting in the front porch area, is a mobile recording studio. Seated on a trailer bed, the studio features huge speakers on the front, a soundproof interior, and a windowed, garage door entrance. This traveling music box is a neat way for Asha to bring her personal happy place wherever she goes.

Every writer has a different method for getting down to it, and pumping out words. The tiny, mobile writing studio and library (above) is the answer for anyone longing for a little isolation and plenty natural sunlight. With windows on nearly every face of the building, it is the perfect place to soak in the sun, and let one’s mind wander around. Tucked into the back of the studio, are a kitchenette, a little shower and toilet, and a king size bed on top. A rolling ladder grants access to the bed, but can also wizz around the two side walls for access to the bookshelves which line the ceiling. In the main living area, a folding table can emerge to face a large observation window. The idea that this studio projects of a productive get-away in any setting one chooses might be just what a minimalist writer needs.

Art projects and events are a great way to spread creativity within a community and beyond. With portable and simple craft studios (above), it is easy to bring art anywhere. The entrance is a large door right in the middle of the building which brings guests right into the center of it all. On the inside of the door and next to a front window, are chalkboards for quick designs or signs. Due to the blank box sort of design of these studios, they can function as a great space for any art medium one wants to bring to the public.

Today’s profile piece comes to us from kinesiology student, Iulia Soneriu. She documents how tiny houses can lead to a less financially stressed life, thus leading to increased happiness in residents. 

Tiny houses come in all shapes and sizes, (even on wheels!) but the best part is that owning one can permit the resident to live the life they’ve always dreamed about. I mean, haven’t you been dreaming of traveling or having more time for your friends and family?

76% of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck (CNBC) and are consistently stressed about money. Because of this financial anxiety, many people are looking for a change and some are leaping into tiny houses as their solution. A major benefit to tiny houses is that they can be extremely affordable compared to standard rentals, or average American home ownership. 

By looking at this table below (WSJ), you will see that when you  buy an average American 2,300 square foot house, you are really setting yourself up for a long-term relationship with your bank. This data is also 11 years old now, so we can at least imagine that it hasn’t gotten any cheaper.

After seeing these numbers you might start thinking that you don’t own the mortgage but that the mortgage owns you! That is why tiny houses can be so great. They offer affordability to a wider amount of people further creating housing access to those in need. For example, our team is designing ZeNETH to be paid off in 10 years using the same amount someone would pay for rent in Bellingham. Seeing as Bellingham renters, on average, are spending $9000 a year in the city, you can quickly see how this adds up – especially once the house if paid for!

Clearly housing can be a strong financial asset and not just a bundle of stress for the resident. We hope that we can help alleviate long-term stress and anxiety from residents just trying live on a budget. So from a recent university grad that wants to avoid a lifetime of expensive apartments to an elderly couple that just wants an inexpensive home to retire into, I think there are plenty of reasons to consider tiny house living. And while there is always a lot to consider, I believe that your house should at least bring you happiness.

Environmental concerns are another popular reason for people to lean towards tiny house life. Because these structures can be designed with energy efficiency in mind (like ZeNETH) it requires much less energy inputs to operate the house. One third of this country’s energy consumption stems from residential energy usage. By eliminating, or at least reducing this personal energy consumption, tiny house dwellers are able to get a grip on their environmental footprint. Another environmental benefit found in tiny houses (though not exclusively) is the use of recycled building materials.

Research in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health has found that those who have more access to the outside world, such as parks and other outdoor locations, enjoy greater overall health than those who do not. Of course, accessibility is primary factor of getting into the woods/sea/mountains and we recognize that there is not equal access to this natural world. Even still, tiny houses, due to their tiny nature encourage residents to get out and about and thus expose them to the world outside of their house. This can lead to quality time spent within their community of family and friends,  and thereby creating a stronger bond to others. This promotes better health in residents (through human to human connection) and can lead to a more dynamic family and community.

All in all, I believe the biggest benefit of owning a tiny house is the boost to your mental health by allowing you to have more time and freedom to live your life.

Further Readings: 

• “Living in a small space may improve your mental health”
• “This Tiny Life: Ditch the square feet, gain the world” 
• “What is the tiny house movement?” 

Today’s research post comes to us from Serafima Healy, one of ZeNETH’s newest researchers. Our team is exploring the realities of mobile home living, and how that model can be evolved as a housing solution in the 21st century. 
Read on! 

In America, trailer parks make up 6 percent of the overall housing market. Most trailer parks are a form of non-subsidized affordable housing which provide housing for about 20 million Americans. While there are some who are satisfied with trailer park living, since the 1990’s the trailer park model has become increasingly flawed. Many trailer parks are neither economically sustainable or equitable. Examining the problems with current trailer park models will help Project ZeNETH understand how to fill the current market gaps with it’s own, hypothetical business model.

Problem #1: Living Conditions Aren’t Always Livable & Policy Isn’t Helping

First and foremost, many trailer park living conditions are inadequate. For example, in Ventura county, California, there are 5,567 trailer parks, a third of which have living conditions that have been compared to third world countries. Many state policies restrict the quality of life in trailer parks. The department in Ventura county tasked with ensuring these communities reach safety standards have only 25 people to manage all 5,567 parks. An article from the LA Times titled Problems Fester at Some Trailer Parks states that California policy says only 40 percent of parks are inspected every seven years. This means that someone could be living with a ruptured septic tank for months before it even hits state radar. The lack of support from state policy means many trailer park owners must take responsibility into their own hands. This is costly to park owners and many do not have the funds to make necessary repairs. This type of relationship with the state could be disheartening and could give some trailer park residents the sense that they are second class citizens.

Problem #2: Park Owner & Tenant Relationships

Historically, trailer parks have been sources of community. In the 1950’s they were run as mom and pop businesses, where park owners often lived on the same land as tenants and generational families and communities were tightly knit. However, a shift in the 1990’s occurred: corporations began buying trailer lots and raising rents. The sense of family and community once found in trailer parks disappeared as those who could not afford the rising rents were displaced. Tenants became seen as sources of income rather than neighbors. A sense of distrust arose between corporate landowners and tenants as corporations began selling their trailer lots to developers and more tenants were displaced. Again, this relationship could be hurtful to some living trailer park communities and again enforces the stigma that there are people who see those living in mobile communities as second class humans.

Problem #3: You Own the House but Not The Land

One of the many issues mobile home communities face is that tenants may own their mobile home but not the land they live on. This means if their park owner decides to sell the land, the tenant has to pack up their house and move it to another lot. Not only is this displacement, but there are currently many policies that prohibit older mobile homes from being taken on highways. This leaves the tenant stranded with a mobile but no where to put it and no way to take it anywhere. The concept that people pay rent for the land, not the home is only sucking more money out of the tenant. As a result, people living under this business model have very little security. The organization ROC USA is currently working to help trailer park tenants purchase the land under their homes and function as a co-operative. This NPR article discusses the overwhelming success of ROC USA and its impact on American trailer parks.  

Many people are beginning to understand the complex issues with modern trailer park models. Organizations are working to assist with basic necessities, change policy, and provide alternatives. Project ZeNETH is working to develop a business model that will address some of the problems affordable housing communities are facing. By examining the example of trailer parks, we are able to identify important problems and develop solutions.

Additional Media

Photo Album: Life Inside A Trailer Park by David Waldorf http://davidwaldorf.com/2015/12/01/lfe-inside-a-trailer-park/

Tucson: Trailer park living for America’s poor: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jeMp0uF1kA

Continued Reading

How Mobile Homes Hinder The American Dream

Home Sweet Mobile Home: Co-Ops Deliver Ownership

Problems Fester At Some Trailer Parks

Why Do So Many Americans Live In Mobile Homes?