January 10, 2017

Last year we told you about an Architecture & Interiors' course which was part of an initiative to build a Tiny House for Greensgrow, a community organization that employs urban agriculture to cultivate food, community and entrepreneurship. The journey continues this term with an emphasis on completing the structure's interior. Be sure to stop by the corner of 36th & Filbert to see the house as it nears completion.

Tim Kearney, AIA Principal of CuetoKEARNEY Architects, co-founder of their affiliate Home Sweet Tiny Homes and the Architecture & Interiors Professor who teaches this course, was recently interviewed in Modern Builder + Design Magazine's October – November 2016 issue, where he spoke to the design elements and building approaches that are considered when building a tiny house. "Tiny houses have obviously struck a nerve with many people. I think it is a complicated mix of economic, philosophic and cultural reasons that people find appealing. So, the first thing is that they look like a house rather than a trailer or RV," stated Kearney, "The design process of a tiny house is a constant struggle with inches and the perception of space. Emphasis is often and correctly placed on the clever use of multi-purpose elements and spaces."

This tiny house is made possible thanks to a generous gift from Powelton Village resident, Hanley Bodek, who has developed and renovated housing in Philadelphia for the past twenty five years. The Bodek 'Tiny House' Challenge is nearing it's third and final term, where students will learn about the tiny house movement, urban farming, permaculture and design, and construction of a trailer-based tiny house. To learn more about the Architecture & Interiors program, click here.