The heart of small housing is about giving people more options for what to call home. At PAD, we’ve never cared much to discriminate about “small vs. tiny”, or “on wheels vs. on a foundation.” What we care about is people having access to affordable, sustainable places to live in a way that serves their…Read more
By Billy Ulmer What if tiny houses – and all small housing – were the norm? What if we stopped pretending that anybody is any happier in a big, fancy house than they are in a simple one? What if we admitted that the most important things in life are our relationships and our feelings, and…Read more
By Billy Ulmer Five hundred designers, builders, planners, realtors, students and homeowners gathered in early November to learn how powerful and important it is to build small. The energy in ballroom that morning was electric, and the day was packed with people looking for new ideas for homes that match the needs of our current…Read more
By Billy Ulmer Last week I met with some researchers who were studying the tiny house movement from an academic perspective. They asked me two questions that still stick in my mind a few days later: What’s changed in the last three years of the tiny house movement? What’s going to happen next? I’ve thought…Read more
Are you curious about tiny homes on wheels, but equally curious about other kinds of little houses? Maybe you’ve considered building a backyard cottage, or dreamed of living in a pocket community of neighbors and friends. If you’re interested in the tiny house movement but are still looking for your specific place within it, then…Read more
Is it the size of your house that matters, or the community it makes you a part of? Communities give us places to work and play, they are the friends and family who give us purpose and support. We might think of home as what’s contained within our walls, but what’s outside of them can…Read more
Last week we posted part one of our interview with the founders of Caravan, America’s first tiny house hotel. We knew we were excited about Caravan because they offer people the rare option to rent a tiny house by the night and see how it feels, and let people see different types of houses side…Read more
Portland Alternative Dwellings is happy to operate out of Portland for many reasons, including that it’s a place where people aren’t afraid to blaze a new trail. So we’re not surprised that Portland now hosts Caravan, America’s first tiny house hotel. Caravan includes three separate tiny houses rentable by the night, and space for two…Read more
At PAD, we spend a lot of time talking tiny houses (obviously), because we love them and love what they can do for people. But living in a tiny house isn’t for everyone, so it’s important to spend time considering some of the other alternatives to traditional housing that offer similar benefits – more community,…Read more
This great article from Sightline Daily’s Alyse Nelson features a video of Dee Williams in her tiny home, and some great photos and stories from others in the tiny house community. It covers tiny houses on wheels, and some lesser-discussed shades of small housing like laneway housing, a cousin to Accessory Dwellings. From the article:…Read more