The first nominee for the Society for the Preservation of Human Scale is the B&Z cabin on Boblo Island.
B&Z happen to be the parents of of a certain Chicago realtor, who writes a blog about livable Chicago (there is no nepotism at work here, I assure you).
Several years ago, B&Z found themselves in possession of an attractive piece of real estate on a Lake Huron island, and initially simply camped there. After a few summers of this, the fresh air cooking and, ahem, toileting, lost a bit of its charm, and B&Z decided to upgrade slightly from the tent. They purchased an inexpensive shed/garage kit from a home remodeling center on the mainland, and had it ferried to the island. The footprint of the structure: 12 x 20 feet. Even the island township officials thought it was a bit cramped for what constitutes a "dwelling", but B&Z found a loophole through which they were able to slip along with their dimunitive house.
They chose cedar siding for the exterior, and fitted the barn-style roof with giant skylights to maximize the views of the forest canopy. Inside is a fully outfitted kitchen, with a cooktop, fridge, freezer and breakfast bar, a small shower bath tucked under a sleeping loft for two, and a living area with a fold-out futon, which leads to a large deck via a sliding door.
Short of an interior of and RV or boat cabin, this is the smallest modern living space I've ever been to.
Comments(12)