Tiny house, big dreams

Abstract

Architect Avideh Haghighi is doing what most of us should do: she is making a change in the way she lives so that there would be zero greenhouse gas emissions. She is retrofitting an old oil worker?s house in Signal Hill, California, to become a home that runs only on renewable energy. After that mission is completed, she will reach even further, and try to turn that tiny house into a living building where it would not take anything from nature without giving back.On the path towards a greener and more sustainable future, we need inspiring examples. We know that people tend to start wanting the same things as their neighbors and make similar choices to their friends as well as people that they admire.In the United States, residential housing accounts for around 20 % of all greenhouse gas emissions. Mostly the emissions derive from the energy that is used for heating, cooling, lighting as well as using electricity for other appliances. The way our life is now, cutting down energy consumption is not likely ? quite the opposite. So, the number one target is to move faster towards using energy that is clean and not derived from fossil fuels. For an American homeowner, it means very often ditching the gas appliances and getting electrical ones instead and utilizing renewable sources like wind and solar.The transfer to clean, renewable energy is for many still too expensive and complicated a process. This is also only mostly accessible to homeowners. But like in so many things in life, trailblazers can point the way. Haghighi, who specializes in sustainable architecture, is one of those trailblazers as her mission is not only to do it for herself but to share the knowledge and learnings with a wider audience.That is why Haghighi?s story is important to tell. May that ? as well as this solution journalism piece ? be an inspiration to all of us.