A MODERN HOME FOR A SIMPLISTIC LIFESTYLE
Mondrian was a Dutch painter and theoretician who is regarded as one of the greatest artists of the 20th century. He reduced his visual language to only vertical and horizontal elements, which represented two essential opposing forces which represent the positive and the negative, the dynamic and the static. The balance of his compositions reflect what he saw as the universal balance of these forces. Overtime, the essence of Mondrian became modern and minimalist.
Like Mondrian’s artwork, individuals who prefer to live in tiny homes prefer to keep their lifestyles simple and clean from clutter. Reducing their physical processions keeps tiny home owners less overwhelmed with daily life, closer to nature, and helps eliminate unimportant choices throughout the day. The goal of my tiny home design is to keep these life choices in mind and create a space where all of the necessities of modern living can be found without sacrificing overall functionality or style.
MOOD BOARD
FLOOR PLANS
Initially, I began my design process by drawing out a simple ten by twenty square foot rectangle and calculating what percentage of the 200 square feet was needed for each living space. Then, I used those percentages to calculate the length and width of each individual room, essentially creating a monad out of each room.
As part as a computational design class, I developed shape grammar rules which dictated how the rooms fit together. The final floor plan emerged from these rules.
SIZE RESTRICTION
200 Square Feet Floor Plan
After creating 25 iterations, I chose four that followed those rules the closest and put furniture in them to test their effectiveness. Through this process, the final floor plan emerged.
FINAL FLOOR PLAN
DIGITAL MODELING
MODEL MAKING
3D PRINTING
I used SolidWorks to create several quick models to 3D print. After the models were printed, I proceeded to gesso, sand, and paint them.
LASER CUTTING
Designing, engineering, and constructing all of the laser files in Illustrator was the most difficult aspect of the project because of the need for all of the pieces to fit together. Because there were so many pieces, organization became a vital aspect of this project’s success.
CNC MACHINING
Then I used a CNC machine to cut out the roof. I created a roof indentation, so the top fit on the model.
COMPLETED MODEL
FINAL THOUGHTS
I accomplished my goal in designing and constructing a tiny home that is modern, minimalist, and stylish without sacrificing function. There are small details I would have liked to spend more time developing and designing, but due to time restrictions, I was unable to. I continuously found myself underestimating how much time would be necessary to complete this project.
Prior to being at Walla Walla University, I did not realize how much I enjoy designing spaces in both environment and space planning classes. I had never tried to design a house before and learned an incredible amount through this process, including design reguation considerations and how to design products with the idea of the complete home in mind.