Popularity of studying tiny houses building in universities

If you're a tiny house enthusiast, you've probably scoured builders' websites as well as Pinterest for beautiful designs and price ranges. Another alternative is to create and construct your own. With the demand for tiny houses rising, courses on DIY building are popping up across universities.
 

History of Irene Roksana

Irene Roksana, 42, who is a mom living in an apartment in Katoomba, recently completed an introduction to building tiny homes. She works in the industry of hospitality and is currently launching her own business, decluttering. She says she completed the course to acquire the necessary skills to construct her own eco-mindful tiny house. "Tiny houses are something I've always been fascinated by as a design," Irene says. "We don't require lots of space or so many rooms that are solely for one purpose. It's all about living in a basic house that is able to meet the most basic needs."

In an eight-week program, the 10 participants took the six-week landscaping courses that provided them with practical and hands-on skills like the process of clearing and preparing the land for construction, as well as the safe operation of power tools. Irene admits to being initially nervous when using large equipment, but she gained confidence by learning new skills such as the use of a drop-saw and concreting. "It's such a male-dominated area," she admits. "It was an empowering experience to take on that responsibility. Normally, you'd have to pay $1600 to lay the foundation to build the building. I'm confident now that I can do that."

Beyond having a roof over her head, she sees it as a choice of lifestyle. "If you live in an apartment that is smaller, there's no need to pay the same amount for power and electricity. It's the ability to take holidays, and live a life I appreciate." Irene stated that she would like to continue her studies in the future and learn more about the necessary skills to construct a tiny house that she can build her own.
 

Additional alternatives of homes

Environmental studies teacher Feroze Amse says, "The six-week landscape skills introduction course gave students the transferrable skills needed to work on their small home project or to explore additional trade-related qualifications at their institution of higher learning." If you're looking to do it yourself, here are some additional alternatives to consider.

For Carpentry 221 Laney College students build small houses in just two semesters. The 20 to 30 students begin to build the trailer. After completion, they serve as homes for the homeless students who are allowed to live there at no cost. A recent study revealed that 19% of students at California community colleges are homeless. These builds also provide an occasion for students, who often intend for their very own small home, and gain the experience of building two models. The cost of materials is around $30,000. Model S is built on a trailer that is 16 feet long and has a bed, desk along with a closet, bathroom, and kitchen. Model M sits on a 12-foot trailer; at $20,000, it has beds, a desk, and a closet. The Wedge house, which won awards (2016), included roof-mounted solar panels, two sleeping lofts, fly-ash composite siding, and custom-built furniture.

You can attend all four classes (which will cover council regulations, techniques for connecting the building to the trailer, how to construct an incredibly small house, and finally going off-grid), or you can take each workshop in separate sessions.
 

Fred and Shannon Schultz living in tiny houses

The founders, Fred and Shannon Schultz, lived in a tiny house themselves. They stress how important it is to build a sturdy house and trailer with a secure attachment that can stand up to wind, motion, and vibrating. "People are building frightening things," Shannon states. "It's an unregulated space. Anyone can construct a trailer, but they're building it in a dangerous way." The course is six days long and covers everything you need to know about wall, foundation, and sub-floor construction, as well as trailer considerations, roof framing, loft framing, external glazing, and window and door construction.

Two carpenters instruct the course. The course is seven days of hands-on instruction on sustainable building practices and reclaimed construction materials. It covers every aspect of building a tiny home, including 3D photorealistic visualizations, which are integral to the planning and design process. These visualizations offer participants a detailed, lifelike preview of the tiny home before construction begins, allowing them to explore and refine design choices, understand the spatial dynamics, and experiment with different materials and finishes. This technology helps ensure that the final build aligns closely with the original vision. The group of participants collaborates to construct the house from scratch on Spinifex Farm, 30 minutes to the west of Orange.

Portland, Oregon, is the current capital of tiny houses within the US. The movement for tiny houses is more well-known and popular in cities than in rural regions across the US. In actuality, tiny home living is especially well-liked in cities with cultural and artistic communities. This is why cities like Los Angeles, New York, Seattle, and Austin are also among the top in terms of beautiful miniature homes.