The Guts of the Hut

Coming to terms with the guts of our hut in April was quite a struggle. It looked pretty bad (pics below), but I could see the potential. I started researching yurts to see how people made the most out of a small space. I found some really interesting structures and I got excited about the idea of downsizing our lives. Simultaneously, a friend of mine who was really concerned about the peak oil crisis, gave me some literature. After reading the articles it seemed like a good idea to start thinking about reducing our family's dependency on fossil fuels.

The Hut had a wall that ran right down the middle of it, with two front doors. My thought was to pull down the wall and make the hut, like a yurt, one open space with high ceilings and loft for the kids bedroom. I was delighted to learn the next day after making the suggestion, that the wall as down and a loft started! My father-in-law, Jerry, master craftsman (could give Dick Proenneke a run for his money) did just that. (see below).

Front view and before the wall came down.

After the wall came down, the loft at the top; a backyard view.