For my Industry Event, I went to the Mid-Atlantic Tiny House Expo in Philadelphia: (see website: https://tinyhouseexpos.com). I thought this event was absolutely amazing– I was able to learn a lot and also make some connections! People at this event were so knowledgable, extremely helpful, friendly, and real down to earth! I was honestly surprised by how helpful people were, but everyone there would answer all your questions and tell you all you need to now to help you build your own tiny home! It really showed me how much people care about this “tiny home movement”. It’s such a nice small community of supportive people, looking to help others and grow. After attending this event, I really felt proud of choosing this topic for my thesis project because it could help spread the word and give other people a better understanding of tiny living. I also thought a lot of the designs and ideas I saw there were cool and might use some in my thesis! Here are some of the coolest things I saw and learned at the convention:
Me peering in to the back of a house on wheels where a separate small room was built in which stored all electrical, plumbing, and other equipment to keep the house running! BTW, a tiny house is anything you live in that provides you with living space of 400 sqft or less! Tiny homes can be anything– from busses, winnebagos, yurts, etc. Tiny homes have been around for a long time, but really started becoming popular after Katrina hit in response to the FEMA trailers they were using.30’x8.5’x13.5′ tiny homeBeautiful kitchen design in a 30’x8.5’x13.5′ tiny home All of the homes at the convention were on wheels, and almost all of them were from Virginia! What a long drive up! Fun fact: in Virginia, you have to pay personal property tax on your cars!Me admiring the beautiful bathroom in this tiny home. It contained a nice full size shower! And the tile work was beautiful. Absolutely loved the vibe and design of this bathroom. Sink is to my right, and toilet is behind me with extra storage (didn’t get a picture of this unfortunately).Inside a Sprinter Van turned into a home. Note the couch that holds the ‘fridge’ underneath it. This vehicle can carry 42 gallons of water that can last 3 days for a single person living here. Fun fact: the guy who lives here travels the world in this vehicle to spread word about a sport he co-created and is trying to get approved to be a “real sport”– it’s called Spike-boarding! Start training now to get a head start and maybe you’ll make it to the Olympics! 😉This is a Nature’s Head Composting Toilet that sits within the Sprinter. It actually sits in the shower and can be pulled in and out for use when needed. Composting toilets are used for people who do not have septic or sewage systems readily available. No-odor, stainless steel, and American made! How does it work? Place some soil, moss or other material in the toilet to rid of the smell (only have to do this once), do you business, crank the toilet after use to separate liquids from solids, dump the liquid every 3-5 days and the solids every couple weeks, clean with vinegar and other materials as necessary– easy peasy! Fun facts: This toilet was originally designed for boats! If you do your business in a bucket on a boat and throw it overboard, you could get arrested. BUT, if you simply DO your business overboard, you don’t get arrested……..Navigation Nowhere – School bus transformed into a tiny home! The school bus is the safest vehicle on the road– they have to be to keep the children safe. This school bus in particular has the same engines as the ones used in trucks strong tractor trailer engine. Fun fact: this is on AirBnB! See interior below–>
