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Henry David Thoreau

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Nature Cabin 12 by 12



Henry David Thoreau

The great American philosopher Henry David Thoreau contemplated what it meant to be human living among humans in the natural world. He wrote his enduring classic Walden from his cabin beside Walden Pond. The simple life, in a simple dwelling about the same size as this one. A small dwelling keeps us closer to nature. 8 feet by 16 feet with a roof pitched at 45 degrees this home is simple and yet, offers potential for simultaneous views to the 4 points of the compass, and later on, opening up of the attic space for a loft for sleeping or storage. I've included pricing for simple windows, a DIY door (simple but very effective) and things like a basic stove, a good strong heater, a solar panel (batteries not included) and a 12 volt freezer/fridge. So, technically this home is ready for off-grid whether in the city or out in the country-side. The benefits of off-grid being many, including being turn-key with very little infrastructure needed to start living, and speed of of implementation, not to mention of course, a nominal carbon foot-print. This build will not last a century without upgrades. It has simple roofing materials and sits on pressure treated 4x4 skids, so some ground leveling would likely be a good idea prior to building. Most importantly, you can build this house yourself easily using the simplest of tools, and for $2000 Canadian dollars-ish. This is my first version and so I haven't gone too far afield in looking for inexpensive building supplies and I threw in some "appliances" to make the point that a home can be made for $2,000 all in. But there will need to be more research into sourcing and perhaps some harder bargaining to get those prices down properly sub-$2000. But, who wants to live in something this small? Well, housekeeping is a dream, the mortgage is manageable, ethically it has a carbon footprint that should makes some folks blush, it reverses any tendency to hoard, and you can speak to your co-habitants without having to yell.
The furnishings in this edition are off-the-shelf examples. Custom furnishing concepts will provide far superior use of space. In the present photos the HD Thoreau is fitted out with a queen-size murphy bed that provides a nice breakfast counter when put away.

Henry David Thoreau
Henry David ThoreauHenry David Thoreau
SourceItem DescriptionUnit PriceQuantityTotal
Rona 2x4x8 spruce select stud $4.06 68 $276.08
Rona 2x4x16 spruce select stud $9.55 8 $76.40
Rona 7/16 x 4x8$19.93 28 $558.04
Home Depot 2.7mm 4x8 Cedar Poplar Plywood Door Skin for DIY door $14.63 2 $29.26
Home Depot 2x2x8' $3.622$7.24
Rona 2.7mm 4x8 Cedar Poplar Plywood Door Skin for Interior walls. $14.63 20 $292.60
TBA Fasteners $0.00 0 $0.00
Home Depot 4x4x16 skids $25.512$51.02
Amazon Vevor 12v 16 quart fridge/freezer $227.32 1 $227.32
Amazon Martin 2 burner propane stove $64.95 1 $64.95
Amazon Giantex Portable toilet 5 gallon $99.99 1 $99.99
Amazon Eco Worthy 100 watt solar panel $89.99 1 $89.99
Amazon Likaci diesel heater 5-8kw $109.99 1 $109.99
Amazon 12'x25$69.53 2 $139.06
Home Depot 1x6x8' door frame. $5.883$17.64
Rona Roll roofing 36$76.50 2 $153.00
Subtotal:$2,192.58
Tax (12%):$263.11
Total:$2,455.69


Nature Cabin 12 by 12

Humans are meant to be close to nature. It's where we come from. While often compact living is of a rectangular shape, presumably to appease the idea of portability along roadways, a simple home need not be a rectangle and in fact there are economies to be had in constructing a square footprint. So here I have designed Nature Cabin 12' x 12' to provide a less linear space. Simple 2x4 construction on 3 pressure treated 4x4 skids to accommodate the increased span of a non-rectangular footprint. A DIY door, OSB sheathing that can double as siding until the owner decides to personalize as funds allow. The attic can be opened up for storage or a loft bed or even to add a skylight. It's all very practical and easy to build with the most basic of tools, and can be on or off-grid depending on where it is constructed. The windows I have chosen here are a good starting point, and as with any small home one can position windows so that light can stream in and provide a view to the four points of the compass simultaneously. Housekeeping in Nature Cabin is easily done in minutes, the carbon foot-print is infinitesimal, there is sufficient room to have guests over for dinner and even room for a fur baby or two. The conceptual photos show ready made furnishings that might be better replaced with built in custom solutions that would make better use of space.

Nature Cabin 12 by 12
Nature Cabin 12 by 12Nature Cabin 12 by 12
SourceItem DescriptionUnit PriceQuantityTotal
Rona 2x4x8' rafters $3.61 14 $50.54
Home Depot 2x4x12' plates $7.18 8 $57.44
Rona 2x4x8' studs $3.61 28 $101.08
Home Depot 4x4x12' skids $25.51 3 $76.53
Home Depot 2x4x12' joists and braces $7.18 14 $100.52
Home Depot Floor sheathing 4x8x7/16 OSB $23.48 5 $117.40
Home Depot Ceiling joists 2x4x12' $7.18 7 $50.26
Rona Gable studs Eave extensions 2x4x8' $3.61 5 $18.05
Home Depot Ridge board 2x4x16$9.55 1 $9.55
Home Depot Roof sheathing 4x8x7/16 OSB $23.48 7 $164.36
Home Depot Eave sheathing 4x8x7/16$23.48 1 $23.48
Home Depot Gable trim 1x4x8' $3.58 4 $14.32
Home Depot Rafter end trim 1x4x8' $3.58 4 $14.32
Home Depot Crawl space sheathing 4x8x2.7mm $14.63 5 $73.15
Home Depot Exterior sheathing 4x8x7/16$23.48 14 $328.72
Home Depot Interior sheathing 4x8x2.7mm $14.63 17 $248.71
Home Depot DIY door structural 2x2x8' $3.62 2 $7.24
Home Depot DIY door skin 4x8x2.7mm $14.63 2 $29.26
TBA Additional items TBA $0.00 0 $0.00
TBA Additional items TBA $0.00 0 $0.00
TBA Additional items TBA $0.00 0 $0.00
TBA Additional items TBA $0.00 0 $0.00
TBA Additional items TBA $0.00 0 $0.00
Subtotal:$1,484.93
Tax (12%):$178.19
Total:$1,663.12


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