Foundations Anonymous

If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them.” (Walden; or, Life in the Woods, Henry David Thoreau)

I have always heard that it is best to be well rounded. However, I like to think of myself as pointed. Although I am involved in many activities that I love and value, the passion that most propels me forward is my desire to create. My experience with designing and building my second tiny house, which represents the culmination of a two-year independent research project, has taught me how to value simplification, be resourceful, and doggedly pursue my goals.

My thesis is about the process of planning and constructing micro-dwellings, which are essentially very small homes. At the beginning, all I possessed were a few shaky graphite drawings and my overwhelming wish to will them into existence. I began to literally and figuratively develop my foundations, mastering the basics of carpentry by watching YouTube videos and collecting tips from the local Lowe's staff when I endeavored to make my first house. I added to these skills for the second house, and at the suggestion of my project mentor, a local architect, I worked determinedly for hours on...