Alaska: the land of the creative small homes

I just took a break from being a responsible working human to visit family in Alaska.  Added to the grandeur and beauty of this sparsely populated landscape is a population with a phenomenal tendency toward individualism.  This tendency is definitely reflected in their houses. 

Inside of the city limits of the few Alaskan towns, there are building codes that regulate engineering, and home sizes and shapes.  Outside of city limits, people build what they think the need and want.  Apparently, Alaskans need and want smaller homes, with more access to the outdoors.   

Here's my sister helping her neighbor Ian to butcher his pig.  His home is the tiny cabin behind them, consisting of a sleeping/living area, and a kitchen area.  

You see it all, except for a tiny bit of his roof.  He's lived in it for about 7 years, and is just now building a 16' x 24' palace. 

Side note: here's the pigs before they ended up on the above picture.

Alaskans think about housing a bit differently than we do in warmer places.  First, winters are a tad colder, so they focus on design for efficient heating, and then on keeping that heat in.  Many Alaskans build exterior walls at least 6 inches thick, often using triple paned windows, and roofs as much as 10-12 inches thick.  Check out Jana, Mark and Jack's 16' x 24' (plus ~ 16' addition) house, with the simple exterior, and thick roof:

They don’t worry as much about the exterior aesthetics.  If you’re house is in the woods, who’s there to impress?  Most people seem to focus on making the interior a place that fits their personal taste and habits, and the exterior tough enough to withstand the weather.  Many houses never get past the plywood siding stage, but they might have entry rooms with two arctic doors (6 inches thick, with foam and cordura to seal them off) before you get into the main house.   The interiors are pleasant and comfortable.

Many interiors probably wouldn’t meet building codes in some places, but make for aesthetically pleasing, functional homes, with character.  This tiered house was build by a ship builder, with a "study" area above, sitting area at the base of the spiral stairs, and a "den" below the kitchen.  The ladder provides access to the lowest floor.  The boat influence is clear with the recessed shelves in lateral support walls, efficient use of every bit of space, and the cozy, rounded shapes where ever possible.   The total sq. footage is around 1000', but if feels bigger. 

It seemed like small houses were everywhere in the Great Land, like this tiny shack on pallets in a driveway.

And this cute, tiny cabin in a "dry" neighborhood (no running water).

Or, one of my cousin's husband's creations - a bulging cabin with about 8 different roof lines. 

That's all for Alaska, tomorrow I go shopping for a trailer for the base of my tiny house.