Tiny Homes, Big Ideas

Eighth grade Creators students completed an in-depth study of the tiny house movement this month. They researched unique aspects of tiny home design, explored and chose a city where they could build a tiny house incorporating at least three green technologies, and then designed a tiny house with a specific client in mind. Students presented their designs to the class this month, complete with floor plans, elevation drawings, and 3D models.

At 400 square feet or less, tiny houses challenge designers to use space extremely efficiently and incorporate design innovations that make spaces multifunctional. The small size and minimalist design are also conducive to green buildings. Before starting the design process, students learned about the United Nations' seventeen Sustainable Development Goals and reflected on how tiny houses could help meet those goals. After learning about green building materials like hempcrete and cork flooring and green technologies like solar roof tiles and wind turbines, they chose three to incorporate into their design. Choosing a location for their tiny house required students to research cities worldwide and evaluate the climate, available resources, and how societal factors like the government, economy, and housing availability might impact a tiny home. Students also chose a specific client to design for to ensure their design would be user-centered. The six profile options included a mother and adult son with a disability, a family of four with two children, and an elderly couple in their 70s. 

Each student began the design process by creating an 11x17 inspiration board with photography, designs, color palettes, and textures, highlighting the ideas that would influence their design. Then students designed the floor plan for their tiny house and created two interior elevation drawings and two exterior elevation drawings. They also learned how to make a one-point perspective drawing of their design. They put their plans into Adobe Illustrator, laser cut each piece of the tiny house design, and assembled their 3D model. 

The final presentation of their project brought all aspects of the project together. In addition to their model, students shared a slideshow presentation of their design, demonstrating their understanding of the unique traits of a tiny house, explaining how it is tailored to their client and location, and the green technologies that would make their design sustainable.