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| Tiny Portable Off-Grid Home Caters to Nomadic Lifestyles Posted: 03 Feb 2014 08:00 AM PST The American dream used to include a good job, 2.5 kids, and especially an impressive home, but the mindset of younger Americans has changed to dreaming of smaller, more efficient homes. This tiny, off-screen home called OTIS (Optimal Traveling Independent Space) was designed by students at Vermont’s Green Mountain College Renewable Energy and Ecological Design. It consists of just 70 square feet and can be towed on a standard utility trailer. Its easy portability and tiny size are compatible with a nomadic lifestyle, which is becoming more and more appealing to people of all ages. The OTIS, however, was designed with college students in mind. Professor Lucas Brown, the teacher of the course, says that college graduates don’t want to be tied down with a mortgage after graduation. Many recent graduates also don’t want to be stuck in one place as they look for a job or just the perfect city in which to put down roots. The structure was designed with biomimicry in mind. The lightweight, durable exterior was modeled after the hollow bones of birds. Multifunctional skin-like membranes – modeled after dragonfly wings – keep the structure light, aerodynamic, and able to let in ample natural light. The students did extensive computer modeling of the design before actually building it. The interior of the tiny trailer home contains a desk, a bed, a primitive sink and composting toilet, and a wood-burning stove. A rainwater collection system and 120W solar panel keep the OTIS green and off-grid. According to Professor Brown, the OTIS can be built for between $8,000 and $10,000 in materials. Keep Going - Check Out These Great Related Dornob Articles: |
| Mini Doors and Shoji Screens Hide Ugly Power Outlets Posted: 02 Feb 2014 02:00 PM PST Tiny shoji screens mounted above the baseboards on the wall seem like they could lead to miniature residences, perhaps for mice. But what they’re really for is the clever disguise of power outlets. Designer Tori Sugimura crafts little wooden boxes that mount around an existing outlet, hiding it when it’s not in use. Using traditional woodworking methods on a miniature scale, Sugimura hand-cuts lap joints into tiny pieces of wood. The artist slices out tiny details that are only noticeable if you get on your hands and knees to take a closer look, like little moons and birds in the rice paper of the screens. Others feature cut-outs of shapes in white paper, revealing the wood beneath, as well as tiny door handles. For those with more Western sensibilities, there’s an arched door with a silver handle. The shoji screen design is available at Tori Craft (in Japanese.) Do you prefer to hide your power outlets, or show them off? Some tactics attempt to employ the power of invisibility to minimize them, while others turn them into attention-catching design elements. Keep Going - Check Out These Great Related Dornob Articles: |
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