"Deek and Jay Shafer Collaborate on A Small, Affordable, Whimsical, Backpackers Retreat Cabin"
For more on Jay Shafer, check out www.fourlightshouses.com
So, here's one Jay and I schemed up just for fun- my upcoming book, among many "more sizable" structures, will also have a full plan set on this, alongside cabin plan sets from….
Will Yount of www.HummingbirdTinySpaces.com
Holly Gomez of www.APlaceImagined.com
Matt Wolpe of www.JustFineDesignBuild.com
Sage Rad of www.GypsyLiving.Org
and Myself (another solo design- with architectural help from Sean Carey) www.Relaxshacks.com
AND A TON MORE!!!
THE BACKSTORY…. (explanatory rough excerpt from the book)
“The Pouting Shed” aka “The Stilted Sleeper”- Jay Shafer with Deek Diedricksen
The “Stilted Sleeper” stands as the only collaboration plan set in this book, and one between myself, and friend, Jay Shafer of Sebastopol, CA. Shafer’s name is one well known in the small structure community, and he’s often been attributed to being a key founder of the modern tiny house movement- and for good reason. Jay has lived in a tiny house, has built and designed tiny houses, currently lives in a very small home with his family of four, and has taught well over a hundred building and design workshops nationwide. He knows his stuff and lives, eats, sleeps, and breathes. small structures, as do I. Its for this reason, and seeing as our background and tastes/styles are so very different, that we thought a team up design might be fun- “lets just see what happens”. There is actually a youtube video, speed-sketching and all, of the thought process, off-the-cuff, that went behind this little shelter under the title “Jay Shafer and Deek’s Stilt Cabin/Tree House”. Check it out if you ever have the chance, it’ll add some more insight into things. Basically, to break this down into a simple story, Jay, a pro in simplicity and efficiency, had been wanting to build a series of tiny, tiny, cubby-like single sleeping sheds, that could all be dispersed on a property for guests and friends. These would cost close to nothing to build, and would be erected without much time or effort. Myself, having built many similar, tiny, single sleepers or “escape pods” for reading, meditating, or as offices, jumped in and thought, “I love it, but lets make it a tad more out-there, fun, and whimsical- yet still on a meager budget”. The resulting team-up, is a stilted cabin, whereupon, the under-belly area can now be used as covered shelter for food-preparation, sitting, staying out of the sun or rain, or even as a parking spot for a full out picnic table. By lofting this simple gabled micro hut, we’ve now enhanced its window views, created a bit more privacy through its height, and have added potential safety from animals in the woods (and their damage to a structure while not attended). The only downside is that the structure now has to be entered by climbing a ladded, or steps, but we felt that disadvantage outweighed the other benefits. Additionally, aside from a built-in bench (facing a campfire perhaps) that could be added between the pressure treated stilts, this cabin's backside is also laden with storage shelves, and a back wall of Tuftex polycarbonate roofing as a windbreak, which also (as its hinged) flips up, and becomes and extended covered area. Its dang simple, but would work well and more than double your shaded workspace.
Also, if you missed one of our recent videos on a plan-set that we're now offering, here it is….
Thanks to Joe Everson from www.TennesseeTinyHomes.com for his help with this too!