A tiny revolution: Activating the potential of the tiny house movement

Abstract

The thesis investigates and attempts to activate the potential of self-built mobile tiny houses as a means for sustainable development through the sharing of knowledge between architects and self-builders. With the urgent need to reduce the environmental impact of the building industry, it challenges the traditional view that only professionals can provide innovative solutions for more sustainable living. Through in-depth research into the history, motivations, and characteristics of the tiny house movement, the thesis provides insights of its potential and proposes strategies to overcome the obstacles holding it back from having a greater positive influence on the architectural development towards sustainability. The thesis finds that the tiny house movement has a potential role to play as a counterforce to the negative aspects of the consumerist society, as it’s experimenting with less emissive but equally attractive means of living, and that it could potentially inspire all of society to change in a more sustainable direction if allowed to grow. In order to lower the threshold of designing and building for self-builders, a handbook is developed, containing all the theory necessary to design and construct a sustainable mobile tiny house in Sweden. Additionally the thesis proposes a design with a means of construction that better fits the requirements for an easy-to-build, low-cost, sustainable and mobile tiny house. The thesis puts the design as well as the theory to the test in a self-building course in which the handbook is used and the design is built by participating self-builders. The thesis acknowledges and activates self-builders as able creators that could complement the work of architects, but also finds that architects and other professionals have an important role to play. While self-builders are free of convictions and able to act outside the system, architects could provide support and structure that could improve the results. Bridging the gap between professionals and amateurs as well as between theory and practice, the thesis advocates collaboration and invites everyone to take part in the quest towards more sustainable ways of building and living.