Tiny Homes by Lloyd Kahn

Tiny Homes by Lloyd Kahn

Regular price
Checking stock...
Regular price
Checking stock...
The feel-good place to buy books
  • Free UK delivery over £5
  • 10% off preloved books when you join +Plus
  • Buying preloved emits 46% less CO2 than new
  • Give your books a new home - sell them back to us!

Tiny Homes by Lloyd Kahn

There's a grassroots movement in tiny homes these days. The real estate collapse, the economic downturn, burning out on 12-hour workdays - many people are rethinking their ideas about shelter - seeking an alternative to high rents, or a lifelong mortgage debt to a bank on an overpriced home. Homes on land, homes on wheels, homes on the road, homes on water, even homes in the trees. There are also studios, saunas, garden sheds, and greenhouses.

There are 1,300 photos, showing a rich variety of small homemade shelters, and there are stories (and thoughts and inspirations) of the owner-builders who are on the forefront of this new trend in downsizing and self-sufficiency. You can buy a ready-made tiny home, build your own, get a kit or pre-fab, or live in a bus, houseboat, or other movable shelter. Some cities have special ordinances for building "in-law" or "granny flats" in the back yard. There are innovative solutions in cities, such as the "capsules" in Tokyo.

If you're thinking of scaling back, you'll find plenty of inspiration shown by builders, designers, architects, dreamers, artists, road gypsies, and water dwellers who've achieved a measure of freedom and independence by taking shelter into their own hands.

I began building about 50 years ago and have lived in a home that I constructed myself ever since. I might not have started building if I had been able to find a great historic house with a good vibe. Yet it was always cheaper to create than to buy, and by doing so, I was able to design exactly what I desired and utilize the materials I wanted. In 1960, I embarked on a journey to study the craft of construction. The entire procedure was quite enjoyable for me.

Nail hammering Delineating space is what framing is all about. The sub-floor and roof decking are nailed down. When you first tread on the floor you've just made, it's a rush.

I wish I could have spent more time learning the basics from a master carpenter, but there was never enough time. I learnt from friends and literature, as well as by blundering my way into a procedure that required some expertise. My viewpoint was that of a beginner, a homeowner, rather than a professional. As I gained experience, I began to believe that I could teach people how to construct, or at the very least get them started on the road to building their own homes.

I've gone from post and beam to geodesic domes to stud frame building throughout the years. It's been a never-ending learning process, and it's lead me to investigate a variety of construction approaches, all of which I'm interested in. I created geodesic domes for five years, from the late 1960s to the early 1970s. Domebook One and Domebook 2 were my first two books as a publisher, released in 1970 and 1971, respectively.

In 1973, I abandoned domes (as dwellings) and released our namesake Shelter. Over the years, we've released books on a wide range of topics, including Home Work: Handbuilt Shelter in 2004, Builders of the Pacific Coast and The Barefoot Architect in 2008, and Small Houses in 2012. My favorite subject is construction. Even in today's world, building a house with your own hands may save you a lot of money (I've never had a mortgage) and allow you to have exactly what you want in a home if you follow through.

Lloyd Kahn is a well-known architect.

SKU Unavailable
ISBN 13 9780936070520
ISBN 10 0936070528
Title Tiny Homes
Author Lloyd Kahn
Series Shelter Library Of Building Bks
Condition Unavailable
Binding Type Paperback
Publisher Shelter Publications Inc.,U.S.
Year published 2012-01-24
Number of pages 228
Cover note Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.