5 Ways to be Earth-Friendly When Redesigning a Small Space

Arya

Tiny Houses is the Minimalist and Eco friendly trend that is taking the world by storm.

The tiny house movement is on an upswing. Hobbit holes, dwarf dens, and cubby clubs are finally proving that you no longer have to sacrifice your creature comforts for a more austere lifestyle. With the technical advances of the time, creative architectural leaps and basically the general ingenuity of certain savvy individuals, having a tiny house no longer means living like a Nepalese monk. Embracing the habit, the structural goldmine and many benefits of a tiny house finally staying true to its original concept:

A precious, well-rounded and manageable lifestyle.

A precious, well-rounded and manageable lifestyle
A way of life that once and for all proves: That size really DOES matter… we’ve just been looking at the old adage from the wrong end of the spectrum. One of the more attractive ideas for many tiny house proprietors is the fact that they are, to a certain degree, joining a fraternity. Shaking hands with like-minded individuals who place value on things besides the material. People with their own samurai code and ethics bushido. People that grant significance to concepts like minimalism, not being tied down, easier choices, getting out of debt and being eco-friendly.

That last bit, playing nice with mother nature, is going to be the focus of this article. We are going to investigate 5 unique ways for redesigning a small space with the planet in mind. Ways, mind you, that can work not only for a tiny house but for all types of intimate homes and small spaces.

1. Hire A Pro:

Hire A Pro
It’s not exactly DIY, but sometimes if you’re not cheating that just means you don’t want it hard enough. There are dozens of companies on the net peddling their know-how and experience on the small space front. Pioneers and trailblazers that perfected the whole endeavor way before the first Seattle hipster looked lovingly on a rusty container. Companies that will prepare your house for all climates and conditions (with insulated walls, ceiling, underfloor and central AC). Companies that know the differences between a Samsung Heat Pump and a Fujitsu Heat Pump; which of the two hogs less energy and doesn’t even leave a carbon footprint.

These companies will not only foolproof your space and house – thinking of critical to-do items that hadn’t even crossed your mind – but they will also make it environmentally friendly and cost-efficient.

2. Pantries and Cubbyholes

Pantries and Cubbyholes
Closets, cub-holes, tiny chambers and minuscule storage rooms, that’s the key feature of most small spaces. Take this absolutely dazzling tiny house by Francoise Guittenit and his wife Sarah-Lee, their trick was to fit as many hidden spaces as possible in 7m by 3m.

Sleek galley-style kitchens, paneling with sliding doors and small cabinets etched into the walls; everything out of sight and in its place. In order to stay true to the one maxim of this article, being buds with Gaia, try to use recyclable materials. For example, David Latimer – CEO of New Frontiers – used salvage wood from a decommissioned ship for the walls of his tiny house.

3. Windows

Windows
Wrap around windows are not only absolutely stunning from an aesthetic point of view but also incredibly helpful when it comes to reducing your carbon footprint. Spaces, like the ones built by Wisconsin-based Escape Homes, not only lay waste to some house’s claustrophobic perceptions but they also manage to cut back on wooden materials and wasteful, non-recyclable, components.

4. Solar Power

Solar Power
In 2016, Santa Clara University undergraduates constructed an award-winning tiny house. The basis of this architectural marvel, which won numerous award, was to create a space that was not only earth-friendly but completely off-the-grid. The key feature, and how it managed all of its objectives, was: Solar Power. With the advances of energy-efficient structural insulated panels and cradle-to-cradle saltwater batteries (to store energy), solar power is making a comeback; fast becoming one of the more affordable and efficient options in staying eco-friendly.

5. New Materials

Windows
Breakthroughs in construction materials is the way of the future. Right now we are experiencing a tsunami of innovations in this frontier. A tidal wave of composite that years ago might have seemed plucked straight from a sci-fi film. Casalgrande Padana tiles that actually purify the air around the house. Food waste being transformed into a durable and rigid plywood. Green walls, that not only look good but actually monitor air quality. As I’m writing this, dozens of companies are breaking new ground and experimenting with weird substances and strange paraphernalia in order to not only make a more efficient tiny house but actually create a more sustainable-green construct.

We are at the precipice of a great temperamental upheaval. Our general demeanor, as a whole, has changed. We are now embracing with more gusto the simpler things in life, and having a small space or tiny house helps in this loftier outlook. We are no longer subjects to our materialism, no longer being weight downed by our belongings, no longer anchored to one spot. Those three spiritual deconstructions are at the core of the paradigm shift that the tiny house movement is promoting. A dramatic reinterpretation of the modern living philosophy. A 180º hard turn that values humanity’s respectful relationship with ALL of his surroundings.

Heavy boots aren’t the way to go when strolling through the park to stop and smell the roses.

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