Classes at Shelter Institute; Woolwich, ME

Early in 2006, I had lunch with an architect friend of mine and he described how he was designing a small cabin for his author son in the Maine woods. He described how the simple design and minimalist requirements permitted a solid structure to built "off-the-grid" with a maximum of utility and a minimum impact on the evvironment.

The discussion caught my fancy and I began to read-up on sheds, cabins, cottages and small farm houses. I soon realized that, if I was serious, I could use some "hands-on" training.

Sooooo, from September 18th to 23rd, I attended a Small House Design/Construction Class at the Shelter Institute in Woolwich, Maine (www.shelterinstitute.com) . For five days, our class of 12 students learned how to design, build and assemble a 12' x 16' loft-cabin from scratch. Our instructor was excellent and I believe we all left there excited about the prospects of putting our new skills to use. Take a look at this: http://www.shelterinstitute.com/timbergallery/SmallHouse/fall06/