Earlham students hope tiny house helps fight stereotypes
RICHMOND, Ind. (AP) - What started out as a summertime project for a pair of Earlham College students will soon become a temporary part of the school's efforts to introduce sustainable housing alternatives.
Seniors Abby McCullough and Lily Fishleder built a tiny house - a dwelling that by definition is typically between 100 and 400 square feet - over the summer in Colorado. The 256-square-foot home, 8 feet wide by 20 feet long, is completely off the energy grid and is built onto a standard trailer chassis, making it mobile.
It has a sink, a shower and bathtub, two beds and a small refrigerator. It has been located on a property in rural Centerville since it was brought from McCullough's home in Colorado in August.
"We did this in hopes it might disrupt what a stereotypical builder might look like or act," Fishleder said. "We were especially excited to (tackle that issue) as two young women."
This was the first such construction project either woman has been involved in, which Fishleder said caused challenges from time to time. She said they relied on expertise of those around them, including McCullough's father, as well as the video website YouTube. They also worked with Live Simply Colorado, which helps people build tiny houses in which they can live.
Each of the women said their fields of interest helped them throughout the building process and was part of their strategized efforts to bring the project together. McCullough studies art and Fishleder studies interpersonal and social relations at Earlham.
"We both have an interest in sustainability and outdoor education, which definitely played into us deciding to build this house together," McCullough said. "It's a very exciting opportunity ... having other people learn from what we did."
Now, those from around the area will have the chance to speak to the women about their tiny house and have a chance to tour the structure. Earham has worked with the pair to bring the house to campus for the next several months.
Earlham was required to obtain a variance from Richmond's board of zoning appeals in order to legally have the house on its property. The college, which will use the building as both an instructional tool and a residential dwelling for the two women obtained that variance during the zoning board's Jan. 12 meeting.
Ian Smith, Earlham's director of facilities, spoke on behalf of the college during the meeting. He told the board the location of the house on campus would allow it to not only be more easily used by the women living there, but also be used as a teaching tool for passersby.
"We aren't just about help our students look at (theories), we also like our students to get real-world experience and see those theories put into action," he told The Palladium-Item. "When these two came up with the idea (to do this) ... it seemed to be a good fit for campus and we discussed it with them."
Smith said the college contacted the city's planning and zoning department to find out what needed to be done to bring the house to campus and they were told they were required to have variance.
"With these students living in (the house) ... they can invite fellow students, faculty, staff and the Richmond community into the (home)," he said. "This will allow visitors to learn what living in a space like this actually looks like and what kind of impact it can have on the world around them. We really support this effort."
The house is expected to be placed near the main road through campus - within view of the campus's police department - in the coming weeks, and will remain there until May, when Fishleder and McCullough graduate. They have agreed to take the home with them upon graduation, Smith said.
Earlham's Vice President of Student Life Laura Hutchinson said the school is eager to support the women in their efforts to show others what kind of impact can be had through tiny homes.
"It allows a tremendous academic and experimental project to come to the campus in a capacity in which the whole community is able to share," she said. "Their commitment to this house is really in line with the college and its values, and we couldn't be more proud of this project."
She said the tiny house being located on Earlham's campus is among the first, to her knowledge, of such instances.
"I've not heard of other campuses having a tiny house on their property for this purpose," she said. "There certainly, as far as I know, haven't been any that were built by students. It's an exciting time, to say the least."
For McCullough and Fishleder, the tiny house they built is something they consider to be an integral part of their educational experience, and they each said they're looking forward to helping others understand "the importance of sustainability."
"We are really looking forward to the opportunities this will bring to the campus, and it's become even more (impactful) than we ever imagined it would," McCullough said. "We are really looking forward to how people respond."
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Source: (Richmond) Palladium-Item, http://pinews.co/2k3XgAw
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Information from: Palladium-Item, http://www.pal-item.com