Homestead House by Michael Jantzen

This is the work of a Michael Jantzen, the architect behind the M-Vironments. The Homestead House is a design concept that leverages common agricultural building components to create a simple habitable space. This particular example is not tiny by any means but the concept could easily be downsized. I also have a strong appreciation for small building clusters so when I saw one of my regular readers, Craig, post this on Google Buzz I knew I had to share it with you. Thanks Craig!

This design approach allows for the addition, modification, and removal of the small independent spaces making it ideal for a growing family and changing needs. The only main disadvantage of a cluster of buildings is that if heated and cooled by fossil fuels the cost could become greater than a single space. But by leveraging natural heating and cooling systems this disadvantage can be quickly overcome.

The main advantage of building with a common prefab material like corrugated steel is that it’s relatively inexpensive and easy to put together. This particular material choice would also last quite a long time. The main challenge would be insulating the house. Michael suggests building another lighter gauge metal structure inside the outer shell and insulating the space between.

Visit his website to take a closer look at Michael Jantzen’s Homestead House.

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