ZEE KESLER LIVES IN VANCOUVER, CANADA, A CITY THAT RECENTLY ACHIEVED the doubtful distinction of having the highest cost of living in North America. It is also in the top twenty for the most expensive places to live in the world. With the city continuing to grow, tiny houses are one solution to urban infill that could help bring some affordable options to the city.

While most tiny houses are designed to live in, Zee saw the potential for other uses. While the house could be used as a home with a few modifications, it initially started out as a mobile classroom and mini art gallery.

Photograph by Erin Leigh Pasternak, www.erinpasternak.com

With the house now complete Zee admits that while it’s a great focal point of learning and art, it “brings up conversations of affordable housing without it being the mission.” Zee says that in her own way she is able to spark conversations about the rising cost of living, explaining “that the artist’s job is not to directly address issues but divert the conversation.”

Starting out Zee didn’t really know too much about building, but she was very good at enlisting help and support. She spent the first year of her journey collecting materials, often spending twenty to thirty hours a week at it. Every time she found a lead on some materials that could be reclaimed she had to borrow or rent a car because she didn’t own one.

Photograph by Erin Leigh Pasternak, www.erinpasternak.com

She did have a place to keep all the collected items; her landlord didn’t use the garage so she was able store all the materials that later would become a house there. From the beginning Zee made many key choices about her systems: heating, cooling, water, power, and appliances.

Once she had her systems selected she built a design from the outside in. Because the tiny house needed to be mobile, there were requirements for how wide it could be. This led her to design the house starting at the outermost edge and working toward the center of the home to make sure she fit with the necessary parameters.

With her design finalized Zee and her designer were able to make a list of what lumber they would need, from which she developed her “cut list.” This was a list of each board they’d need and how long it should be. This list proved to be very valuable when evaluating materials; if an item could be used for something on their list, then they’d take it; otherwise they’d decline.

Photograph by Erin Leigh Pasternak, www.erinpasternak.com

Saying no was a big lesson Zee learned early on. There are times when people want you to take all their materials. Sometimes, since you drove out to check what people have, they’ll guilt you into saying yes. The downside of taking things you don’t need is that you’ll later have to give them away or worse, pay to have them disposed of.

Zee quickly learned this lesson and began to collect only what she needed. Each time she found something on her cut list, she would de-nail it, cut it to rough dimensions, and stack it on her storage racks.

The storage racks were something Zee wishes she had done sooner. At first they tried piling things neatly but soon it got unwieldy. Once she erected the racks, she piled her pieces of wood in reverse order of when she would need them. The result was that as they built, the board on top was most often the next board she needed for that part of the house.

Photograph by Erin Leigh Pasternak, www.erinpasternak.com

With all the materials in place the house took about six months to build. Her team of volunteers and paid contractors came together around the inspiring idea that Zee had envisioned. Her team—John McFarlane (designer), Josh Armstrong (carpenter), Dave Myers (carpenter), Nathyn Sanche (welder), David Heck (volunteer builder), Shauna Langfield (volunteer builder), Ben Garratt (building and assistance with electrical), Tom Ferguson (volunteer builder), and Ruth Munro (artist)—all worked to build the house.

In all, the house cost $25,000 Canadian to build. It now serves as a public art piece, classroom, and gallery all in one tiny space. It’s currently parked at the Trout Lake Community Centre as part of their Artists in Communities program. The build would have never happened without the community rallying around the idea of the tiny house. Zee says, “When people see something interesting, they just want to be part of it—that’s art.”

Photograph by Erin Leigh Pasternak, www.erinpasternak.com