Tiny Houses Making Construction Workers Relearn Sustainable Building

Tiny Houses Making Construction Workers Relearn Sustainable Building

The simple living movement was meant to help people move off grid, but the movement has grown so much that it is now affecting building design more than anticipated.

The tiny house movement began because people wanted to find a way to save money and reduce the accumulation of unnecessary things. The idea of owning less space and leaving excess consumerism behind went against what was once considered the American Dream. As revolutionary as these ideas were, they began to grow, especially with a large portion of the population dealing with high amounts of debt that were stifling growth.

The ability to cut expenses with tiny houses gave people the opportunity to appreciate the simple things and spend time doing things that stir the heart. It is easy to see the appeal and why many people decided to move in this direction. The movement has become so popular that a People’s Tiny House Festival was initiated to help discuss some of the innovations helping the movement move forward. This festival took place at the Air Force Academy’s Falcon Stadium in Colorado Springs.

It is true that a good portion of the people getting into this movement do not even own a house in the traditional sense. Some of these people have converted camper vans or buses into homes instead of owning a tiny house. Some of these individuals are so industrious that they decided to build their tiny homes on their own. Still, the designs the DIYers use continue to be improved upon, which is part of the reason these individuals are meeting up.

Tiny living is all about designing a home that uses space creatively, which is one reason the Naava green wall is quite attractive to these home dwellers. The wall contains plants that can help clean or freshen up air quality, which is even more important in small spaces.

There was a time when construction workers would have a hard time finishing up projects simply due to the size of the homes, but this movement is giving the younger generations of builders a choice to work on simple and greener projects.

Training AU helps construction enthusiasts receive their certificate IV in building and construction; they point out that 67 percent of their students find their dream construction jobs in a few short months after graduating. This movement only seems to be expanding opportunities so that number may continue to grow.

Another change in building design that helps conserve space is the abandonment of hinged doors. These types of doors need a lot of negative space to make it easy for the door to swing back and forth. Tiny homes do not have such a commodity, so it is being phased out. Some people opt to live without doors while others are simply using sliding doors, which conserve a lot more space. This is another design change that builders need to take into consideration.

Builders also need to design stairs that are much smaller than traditional ones. Once again, tiny homes require an economical use of space, so wide stairs will simply not do. Smaller stairs with railings should be built into the design of the home when the home has a loft area or other floors for the owners to use.

Some tiny homes are beginning to use their walls a little more creatively. Tiny home enthusiasts now expect their walls to be a little more functional in order to conserve space. It is not abnormal for tiny homes to have Murphy beds, hidden closets, book cases, or tables that can be folded down when needed. It is important for builders and designers to be ready to construct these types of additions to these new tiny homes.

Sustainable construction goes beyond some of these points. More people are expecting builders to be well-versed in recycled building materials and bio-degradable building materials. This makes it vital for construction workers to take additional classes to ensure that they are ready to work with this new generation of homeowners, who seem to want something different from previous generations.