My-pavilion.com

Here’s an imaginative little getaway space for the modernists among us, recalling Richard Meier’s work. It’s called the micro compact home, abbreviated “mc-h”. The lightweight compact dwelling sleeps one or two people, all in a cube measuring approximately 8’-0 on each side. It is capable of adaptations to a variety of sites and circumstances, and contains functioning spaces of sleeping, working / dining, cooking and hygiene. Develop in Austria, it is currently available for shipment throughout Europe. The m-ch is to make its US debut in the summer of 2008 at The Museum of Modern Art in New York as part of the exhibition Home Delivery: Fabricating the Modern Dwelling. It will be on display from from 20 July through 20 October 2008.

The Shaker stove is both classic simplicity and a modern beauty united in harmony. It reflects the coziness of a fireplace. The minimized design is multifunctional, fitting in with any interior. Its relatively small size and clean lines make it worth considering for overnighters or tiny homes.

It comes in black steel and measures 41” high, 34” wide, and 21” deep. It’s available with a short table that has a small shelf under the door or with a long table that has a bench, so you can sit comfortably close to the fire. Choose either a left or right side loading door and top or back vent. The Shaker is made in Germany and designed by Antonio Citterio with Toan Nguyen.

It is the winner of the prestigious reddot design award and the Chicago Museum of Architecture and Design Good Design award for 2006.

Available in the U.S. at : Wittus Fire By Design

The Grand-daddy of American getaway space has to be Henry David Thoreau’s cabin at Walden Pond, built in Massachusetts in 1856. Thoreau’s philosophy and writings underscore a lifestyle of simplicity and resonance with nature. He is also often cited as a legendary example of rugged American individualism and personal independence.

Thoreau built his cabin himself with simple hand tools, and he cut and dressed his own lumber on-site. Although the original cabin no longer stands, a replica has been built near the pond. His heat source was a cast-iron wood-burning stove, set within a masonry hearth.

Now part of the Massachusetts Forests and Parks system, Walden Pond State Reservation maintains a rebuilt copy of Thoreau’s cabin and 462 acres of protected open space. Visitors from all over the world visit the pond and woods that inspired Thoreau.

One of the best examples of finely crafted greenhouses is made by Gabriel Ash in the U.K. Each little pavilion is a work of art, finely crafted of the best materials, with an attention to detail. They make a variety of greenhouses and glass houses. Their website is worth a visit if for nothing else than inspiration.

Cedar Glass House

One of the coolest “gazebo style” structures I’ve seen in my travels is Spirit Elements’ Solarium Cedar Glass House. It’s a a shippable unit that can also be somewhat customized. The round shape of a gazebo creates a dramatic, almost magnetic focal point. What’s nice about these units is that – unlike typical gazebos – they can be fully enclosed, thereby creating opportunities for a variety of uses. They’d be a delightful extension to anyone’s landscape.

Photo Courtesy of Lillyput Playhomes

If you are planning to purchase a backyard playhouse for your kids, and you want it to look as lovely as this one, you’ll have to do some planning. Here are four key issues to bear in mind:

1. How large is the playhouse, and how will it get into your backyard? That is, will it be trucked in whole, or shipped in components, to be carried in and assembled? If it’s the former, then what about access for the truck?

2. There are usually limitations as to what you can build, and how far it must be from adjacent property lines. Check first with your local building department.

3. Every building needs some sort of foundation, in order for it to stay level, and prevent rot. Most playhouses are installed on a simple “skid” foundation. Research and build this carefully before you drop in your playhouse.

4. The sitescape around the building is key to the visual beauty of it. Think about how your enter the playhouse, whether you want a little deck, rails, etc; and how you it will be landscaped.

In 1968, at the age of 51, Dick Proenneke left his engineering job in the Pacific Northwest and moved to a remote area of Alaska – alone, and in the wilderness. Between spring and fall seasons, he hand-hewed a personal “Go-2” near Twin Lakes, where he lived for over thirty years. In addition to this miraculous feat of rugged individualism and self-sufficiency, he set up a 16mm camera and filmed himself during the entire building process!
Proenneke’s story is one of awesome wonder, and his home site is now a national landmark. See a summary of his life and times in Alaska on you-tube.

For the modernist pavilion lovers, take a look at Kithaus. They describe what they manufacture as a “true modular site constructed pre-fabricated housing system”. Their structures are made from milled aluminum shapes that are pre-cut and drilled for easy installation. This makes the finished assembly very strong, yet lightweight and easy to transport. Co-owner Tom Sandonato tells us that Kithaus – through its marketing connection with Design Within Reach – is providing product coast-to-coast.

Canadian manufacturer Cedarshed makes an interesting 12’ x 12’ all-cedar greenhouse which can be adapted for a variety of uses. Shown here is an adaptation for an artist’s studio. Translucent roofing panels provide abundant diffuse light, and door openings on either end provide for flow-through ventilation. The company’s products are modular and shippable. The model shown is ideal as a work or hobby space in moderate climates, or for seasonal use in less temperate ones.

Jay Shafer lives in a very cool tiny house of his own design. Seeing is believing, so you’ve got to see what he’s designed for himself on youtube.

I especially like his innovative details for managing daily living activities and requirements in such a small space. His heating system (Dickinson marine stove, which you can find in our site under the components category) is space saving, and efficient. Who could imagine the warmth of a glowing fire in such small quarters? Jay also designs and manufactures houses through The Tumbleweed Small House Company