Yesterday's open house was a whirlwind. I'll admit that I spent the morning fairly certain that no one would come- the weather was weird, Sundays are lazy, and I sometimes lack social confidence.

But you, tiny house people, did not let me down. At exactly 12:58, a throng of people appeared, trudging through the mud. Children, farmers, urbanites, college officials- an incredibly kind and interesting crowd filled the house from start to finish. There was even a line outside! 

One lovely lady brought me daffodils; another family brought me a cake from a favorite bakery. Everyone brought questions, cameras, and positive reinforcement. I wish I'd taken more pictures, but I was so busy answering questions that I didn't get a chance! Here's a few photos I snapped: 

Some of the first attendees- laughs all around

No problem getting up to the loft 

Tumbleweed staff member Adam Gurzenski even sent his parents over! 

Relaxing after a long day with friends and a delicious cake 

If you attended and took more pictures, please send them! 

Per my mom's request, I also started a guestbook. It was a great way to track where people were coming from- I had guests from Connecticut, New Hampshire, and all over Massachusetts, including Boston! Thanks so much to those who made the journey- it was a blast having you all around!

Tumbleweed and Southern Adventist University - Partners in Education

Tumbleweed and Southern Adventist University are introducing the concept of tiny home construction to the next generation of American contractors. In the spring of 2013 students in SAU’s Construction Management program will be building Tumbleweed’s newest model.  

As you can see from our early drawings of the new house on the left, The new Tumbleweed is going to include a full sized murphy bed with built in couch on the first floor. 

Tumbleweed’s focus on education is longstanding. Through workshops, books, open houses, partnerships with high schools and community events we are trying to change the perception of what is possible. We are thrilled to be working with a community of future builders that have the ability to change the way America lives, literally, in the palms of their hands.

I recently had the opportunity to sit down with two of the Tumbleweed staff involved in developing the partnership with Southern Adventist. The first thing I wanted to know was why they felt it was necessary for the next generation contractors to understand the concept of tiny homes.

Pepper Clark, a Tumbleweed workshop presenter, was nothing less than enthusiastic in her response. “It's essential for the next generation of American contractors to understand the idea of tiny homes because they provide both the most logical response to our growing economic and logistical housing challenges. Future builders need to be aware of how many problems can be solved with a tiny house; providing means for multi generational families to live happily together, allowing people to work at careers they love instead of high paying jobs they hate, enabling folks to move their homes as needed to respond to changes in their lives, and giving young people a way to live independently with little overhead as they start out.”

Our head of business development and sales, also sees contractors as an integral component to solving America’s housing and financial crisis. “American contractors have the opportunity to help Americans with the financial headache of getting into home ownership. When contractors assist people in getting a better financial foundation under their feet, it will be assisting future generations. We want to refill the building pipeline in a healthy and sustainable way!” 

When asked about Tumbleweed’s focus on education Pepper discussed the importance of homeowner awareness and creating a financially sustainable lifestyle. “If we can assist people in making the decision to live in a tiny way, to reduce financial stress and increase financial stability in the average home, we will have been successful. Many people are having a hard time making ends meet. It is a path to less stress and financial stability.”

Southern Adventist University is pioneering a new and more responsible approach to educating the next generation of American builders. Tumbleweed is looking forward to the day when the concepts involved in tiny space design and construction are standard components of all university level construction programs.