The Tiny House movement has grown increasingly popular in recent years. It’s marked by an extraordinarily efficient use of space and energy, generally featuring transformable or movable furniture. Movement architects seek to turn (basically) nothing into something. For example, a prominent New York City architect recently transformed an old, grimy 400-square-foot apartment into an amazing, seemingly spacious home. Tiny houses don’t have a defined size, but are generally less than 600 square feet.

Architects and designers alike have been focusing on utilizing compact areas to provide the comfort of a normal, modern living space. A few years ago, a bright, hard-working Iowan kid named Luke decided to join the movement. At 12 years old, he sought a new personal space and way to practice his budding architecture chops – but he didn’t have enough money.

Luke set off to raise the necessary $1500 for his micro-home vision to become a reality. He began mowing lawns and trading services. For example, his dad’s friend is an electrician who traded an electrical setup in exchange for Luke clearing and cleaning the garage.

He chose his family’s backyard as the setting for his tiny house. With minimal (but some) help from his parents, Luke went to work.

Luke makes use of a variety of recycled and reclaimed materials. Often, he would try to incorporate found or donated items, including a front door from the friend of his uncle and his grandmother’s unused siding. His mindset resembles a professional tiny home architect.

Luke explains that the project took him about a year and a half to complete and traces its origin to summertime boredom.

Shortly after completing his opus at age 13, he gives a video tour of his new abode. A look inside resembles any other typical living arrangement. One can see pillows, a study area, and a bed.

Luke shows other noteworthy aspects of the home, including a microwave, minifridge, folding table, and movable television. Much of the furniture is transformable.

Luke gives some more details of the furniture and project, mentioning that the floor is plywood. The place is 5 feet wide with the highest ceiling reaching 10 feet. He says he learned a lot about framing, layering, carpeting, and woodworking during the project. He had been using tools for years, so didn’t have to learn much there.

Luke and his home were featured on the front of the Telegraph Herald, a local newspaper. When the project was completed, he graciously threw a grand opening party with friends, family, and contributors.

The only thing this micro-house seems to be missing is plumbing, but that may quickly change. The home is flexible and can easily be added to or altered at the architect’s whim.

Luke’s clearly a bright kid with a strong work ethic – tools that have already served him well in life. He’s blown up online, with over 66,000 YouTube subscribers and millions of views on some of his videos. He’s even been approached to speak at tiny house events. What does the future hold for this budding young innovator and architect?

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Source: Luke Thill, Shareably