It was a frigid afternoon (below 0 degrees F!) in mid-January when Brad Cooper and six of his friends and colleagues arrived to visit my tiny house. Kyle and I and my good friend C were ready to welcome them. The heater kept the house survivable at about 60 degrees, and though nobody took off his or her coat, a few of us warmed up sufficiently to remove our hats or gloves. One of Brad's colleagues was an administrator of Brad's grant, and she and everyone else was curious and had lots of questions.
I was happy to have folks climb the (temporary) step ladder to hang out in the "upstairs" -- the sleeping loft. It was fun to have folks crawling around up there and chatting, exploring the feel of the space.
The loft truly provides a lot more usable space because of the dormers than it otherwise would. Three of us were quite comfortable sitting and talking up there, and none of us seemed crowded too close.
Brad made a number of sketches -- his designs for the two small net-zero energy dwellings in Cincinnati are not yet under construction, so I like to think he enjoyed learning how Kyle and I had solved a few design problems.
I really enjoyed hosting the visitors, and tried to answer all their questions, though my interior design process is far from over and a number of variables are still flexible.
It was a little like have friends come over for a playdate, especially getting everyone up in the loft space. Fun was had by all.
As the group prepared to leave, I self-deprecatingly gave Brad a set of my "drawings", for his tremendous architectural edification I'm sure. At least they are comprehensible to me, at the level of detail I need, to help me remember what we did with the construction along the way, and where the wires are in the walls!
Brad has a clear vision of his project, and I think he has a good chance of making an impact on the quest for providing Greater Cincinnati with more safe, decent, affordable housing. Home-ownership is part of his plan, which might help strengthen the growing mixed-income community that already exists in the urban environment.
The group, comparing notes as they prepare to leave the neighborhood of big houses, after about an hour-long visit in a tiny one.
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Thank you for commenting on my blog. I think this message is for anyone who comments, to let you know, in my case, that there is no knowing when, if, or how I may respond directly to your message!! To quote a famous wizard; "I can't come back! I don't know how it works!" And a famous poet, "We walk backwards into the future." Anyway, I have a feeling this thing is going to grow on me, so we'll be in touch, eventually. Thank you again.