Tiny Homes for Matric Students

I will be designing an accommodation for 6 matric students at my school. These need to be cheap enough for the school to be able to fund. These accommodations will be tiny homes for students who live far from the school and cannot afford housing.

This is a concept project but here are the supplies that would be required if you were to build it:

MATERIELS

1. Bricks
2. Cement
3. Zinc (roofing material)
4. Tiles
5. Wood
6. Plumbing
7. Wires
8. Other electrical components
9. Screws
10. Bolts and nuts
11. Paint
12. Glass
13. Roll on insulation

TOOLS

1. Electric drill
2. Tape measure
3. Pencil
4. Cross-cut saw
5. Pliers
6. Screwdrivers
7. Wrenches
8. Hammer
9. Angle grinder

Every student will need a small convenient dwelling that is easy to use for long staying pupils who are experiencing living away from their family for possibly the first time. These tiny homes need to be situated in places where they can easily study and have quick access to their school activities such as sport or extra lessons.

1. Each student needs a separate dwelling i.e. not a dorm.
2. It needs to be easy to use and not a hassle
3. The tiny homes need to be space efficient and have good aesthetic properties.
4. The matric students need to be able to quickly get from and to things that they must do i.e. 1st team sport at 5

All of these tiny homes are built with simplicity and functionality in mind. Tiny homes can be more expensive than expected but they are (usually) very space efficient relative to other homes. Especially for single people or for students or school pupils who are living alone.

The materials that are used for tiny homes (or any homes in general) need to be cost effective, readily available, and strong. They must also be easy to work with.

After conducting some research I questioned several matrics on what they would want in said tiny homes.

1. What do you spend most of your free time on?
2. sleeping
3. watching videos
4. floor or bed🤦
5. chatting with friends
6. Do you use the space to work or to socialize?
7. work
8. both
9. work
10. work
11. both
12. Which of the four main appliances would you use?
13. washing machine, microwave, stove and fridge
14. microwave, stove, fridge and washing machine
15. microwave, kettle, fridge, washing machine
16. Closer or further away from the school
17. closer
18. further
19. further
20. closer
21. closer

There are two main types of floor types commonly used, when it comes to the foundations. It is either a cement foundation or on a trailer. The decision about which you would use is dependent on whether you want to move it around or not. For our tiny homes they will be stationary so we will use cement foundations.

google search: tiny home google search: tiny home

Trailer foundation Cement foundation

I think that the most suitable place for the tiny homes will be on the top right corner of the Imhoff Sports Grounds.

1. Firstly because of the space at Imhoff.
2. Secondly because, at the main WHS campus there might be too many people around late and that there might be a bit of a noise problem.
3. Imhoff provides a peaceful environment where it can provide the pupils with a great studying environment.

Key:

— FENCE (yellow)

— HOUSE WALLS (green)

— DOORS (blue)

— COURTYARD (brown)

— TABLES (dark brown)

This is a possible layout.

As indicated in the picture the drawing is not to scale.

Design brief

Design and make a set of six tiny homes on the edge of the Imhoff field for 6 matric students to reside in for the year.

Specifications

1. There must be six separate tiny homes
2. There outer walls must be painted white
3. There must be a bathroom, kitchen, and bedroom in each house
4. There must be a place to study, a place to sleep, a place to relax and a place to eat.
5. It must be aesthetically pleasing
6. There must be electricity and plumbing

Constraints

1. I am limited by time
2. I am limited by resources
3. I am limited by space (to a degree)
4. I am limited by expertise and labor

Drawings

Refer to images

Choosing the best idea.

I chose idea 2 because It is the most aesthetically pleasing and it looks the best. There is also more room inside while adding little extra building costs such as walls or roofs. It also has quite a simple design which is quite advantageous. The house also has a relatively small footprint which is desirable. The other two houses are too large for how much they contain; they are not compact enough.

One point perspective drawing showing interior (refer to the above images)

Two point perspective drawing showing exterior and surroundings

The hypothetical amount of time that the tiny home would take to make.

1. Clear ground and ready for construction - 60 hours
2. Pour foundation -16 hours
3. Build rough framework - 80 hours
4. Complete plumbing and electrical systems - 35 hours
5. Install insulation - 40 hours
6. Install built in cupboards and counters - 15 hours
7. Install flooring and built in countertops - 10 hours
8. Install bathroom fixtures and mechanical trims - 50 hours
9. Install doors and windows - 10 hours
10. Paint and finish the exterior and interior - 20 hours

Total time - 336 hours

Overall, I feel that the product does what it is supposed to do and functions well. Although assembling the product might be quite a lengthy process, the materials are readily available and easy to use. I think that it has got a good design and that it could easily be built. I feel that it is very pleasing to look at from the inside although it looks slightly odd from the outside.

It functions well and does what it is designed to do. It is easy to use and it is not cramped inside for its relatively small footprint. I would definitely use it if I was in need. I think that it is quite safe to use except for the roof deck staircase (It does not matter much because I doubt that many small children will be there).

Yes, I think that I identified the problem fully. My research was meaningful to me and my design definitely changed because of it. I also found many design options.

Designing this project has been satisfying because it has been really enjoyable to see the problem coming together well. From my side, the research has been my favorite part of the project. I would next try to manage my time better and work more effectively with my it.