Tin Shed

The Tin Shed is 1162 s.f. and was built in 18 months with little prior building experience. I once heard someone say, “If you don’t know how to do it, just start.”
Drawing the plans myself proved to be invaluable. It was then that the bulk of my research occurred. I drew every stud in the house, so when it came time to build I had a very clear idea of how the structure would go together.
The lot size is 24 x 150 feet, leaving only space for a 14 foot wide house. Building on such a narrow lot was a challenge. Large windows opened up the space. The backyard faces south where a glass garage door in the living room lets in tons of light. In the summer we open the garage door and extend our living room into the backyard.
The house was designed to be very maintenance free using durable materials. It has a metal roof, 22ga corrugated corten steel siding, concrete floors and 8” wide oak plank floors upstairs. 4x12 Douglas Fir beams were salvaged from the Seattle Federal Building for the stair treads. I used simple inexpensive materials for much of the build to save money, but the house has zero mdf or particle board. I wanted the materials in the house to be identifiable, real materials.
I believe that beauty is the highest order of sustainability. Whatever you put into this world, make it beautiful. It will be loved and maintained for a longer useful life. At the same time, I try to keep Buckminster Fuller’s quote in mind, “When I am working on a problem, I never think about beauty but when I have finished, if the solution is not beautiful, I know it is wrong.” The house was recently featured in Lloyd Kahn's book, "Small Homes. The Right Size."