Elizabeth Turnbull was recently accepted to the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies and instead of spending an estimated $14,000 on renting an apartment, she opted for a more creative approach to housing: she is building her own small home on wheels.

She is equipping it with everything a grad student might need: a sleeping loft, a storage loft, a study nook, a galley kitchen, a living area and a bathroom with composting toilet. At roughtly 8 by 18 feet, the small house is so compact, she expects to provide enough electricity for lights, her cellphone and laptop computer from three 65 -75 watt solar panels. Yup, this puppy is off grid.

We were not surprised to hear that she was inspired by the Tumbleweed Tiny House Company in Sebastopol, CA, but due to her limited budget she had build it herself.

Bravo Elizabeth! At this point a small house is all but a symbolic statement. At a place like the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies it might also provide useful information on sustainable living in small spaces. We expect to see more of this!

via The Hartford Courant