The tiny house movement has gained a great deal of popularity in the past few years.  It is an architectural and social movement that advocates living simply in small homes. Here in Sacramento, we have a serious tiny home enthusiast, designer, and builder. 

What got you into working with Tiny houses?

I spoke with agile architect Genevieve Marsh about her experience with creating unique designs for tiny houses and other structures. She specializes in finding custom solutions to specific problems. Genevieve has been in this field of work since she graduated from Rhode Island School of Design and has even built herself a tiny house. She got into designing and building tiny houses because of her passion for sustainability.

When choosing your material how do you keep the environment in mind?

When it comes to her designs Genevieve likes to “show her clients all the health benefits of using natural materials, which help bring the nature outside in;” she is always looking for new ways to incorporate them. In her business, Genevieve uses recycled steel and wool as an installation. It is important to be aware of your surroundings, she says, and what is present on sight so that what you are placing into the environment is not only able to function, but also has minimal impact. While the cost of eco-friendly materials may be higher than their counterparts, it is worth it because her products are affordable, aesthetically pleasing, and functional.

What kind of technology do you incorporate into your tiny houses?

Genieve utilizes solar panels in all of the homes and small facilities that she designs. Since “It does not take too much solar energy to power a tiny house”, you can get  small solar panels and place them onto the roof of the tiny house in a design of the clients choosing or you can put them on the side of the structure. Moreover, due to the size of the structures that Genieve builds, the solar panels are not expensive to include and save you a lot of money in the long run.

After my conversation with Genieve, I am excited to see what project she takes on next. Her love for sustainability and eco-friendly materials make for a great tiny house builder. As she continues to come up with innovative ways to solve the problems our community face every day. Not only is she doing what she is passionate about but she does so while helping others save money and teaching them why going green is one of the best things you could do for yourself and the environment.