University Development

Woo yeah, this campus is growing. Always with something to be torn down and built up, Western has embarked on its next phase of on-campus building developments for the next 3 years. This map was assembled based on information released in Western Today and from conversations with the University offices. Looks like our tiny house will be in good company with its very big brothers and sisters. Let’s hope they take a peek at our energy efficient designs before they get too far along! One day, we’ll be building a net-zero energy hall on campus.. I just know it!

Click for a closer look..

Spring Renewal

Happy Spring everyone!

Known as perhaps the most exciting but least productive quarter at the University, our team is hoping to take our work to the finish line of this academic year. We’ve noticed that when the sun comes out here in the PNW, people tend to forget their winter-selves a bit and lose track of everything they might have been doing. Before we run out to enjoy the budding blossoms and chirping chickadees, here’s what we’ve been up to:

Building a working relationship with local construction company and worker owned co-operative, A1 Design Build. A1 will be taking on the construction of our tiny house. (!!!) This is a major partnership and an incredible opportunity to work across our community with partners who believe in the same learning-by-doing idea that formed ZeNETH.
Presenting at the WWU TEDx Salon where Kellen will discuss ZeNETH and the need for actionable education within our schools. Kellen will also continue his work as a fellow for the IDEA Changemakers on Western’s campus.
Collaborating with Western’s Facilities Development and Capital Budget to design and implement our siting plan on the University’s campus
Envisioning all of the possible uses of the house while on campus, including its potential use as a recording studio or venue space for live performances and podcasts! The house will be a tour destination for many potential students, but also the thousands of students whose educations link to ZeNETH

Clearly, we have another full quarter ahead of us and we’re looking forward to every bit of it. Thanks for reading!

The Story So Far

In late September of 2017, I asked Western Professors Imran Sheikh and Charlie Barnhart out for over beers at the Bellingham institution, Elizabeth Station. Hoping to pick their brains about micro-grids and small scale energy systems I pestered them with many questions that began with, “What if..?” What resulted from that two hour conversation and my frantic napkin scribbling, however, was a proposal to launch the first ever tiny house built with Western Washington University.

My focus at Western is to gather as much practical knowledge of the energy field as possible, and to return to my hometown of Port Townsend, WA to use it there. This being said, the notion of school work as exercises in hypothetical situations has never sat right with me. It was clear then that when I was asked to design a zero net energy house in a class I wanted to make sure I’d do something with the result.

Thankfully, I knew I wasn’t alone in this thought and when the idea came along that maybe we could construct a real house I quickly contacted fellow energy student, Stella Tsitsiragos. We were already researching how Western could utilize more solar power on its campus, and when I shared the idea of designing a tiny house through the university she was immediately on board.

After much talk throughout the fall of 2017 with questions like, “Are we really doing this?”, we decided to establish our inaugural core team of Project ZeNETH. Professor Imran Sheikh enlisted as our project’s faculty adviser and happens to already be an experienced tiny home designer from his days at UC Berkeley’s THIMBY (Tiny House In My Backyard).

At this point, our other key team members are, of course, Stella Tsitsiragos, who just graduated from Western with her Bachelor of Arts in Energy Policy and Management. She will likely be returning to Western soon as a graduate student and plans on utilizing Project ZeNETH as a key aspect of her research upon her return. Patrick Shive, another notable undergraduate with the Institute for Energy Studies at Western has joined our team. He’s currently wrapping up an internship with the City of Bellingham and is sure to use that education in our work here.

All in all, the story is just getting started with Project ZeNETH. Check back with us any time to find more stories about the first ever tiny house constructed with Western Washington University.

-Kellen

Welcome

Welcome to Project ZeNETH!

We are a team of students and faculty that are tackling sustainable home design, energy efficiency, and even affordable housing right here in Bellingham, Washington.

Onwards!