High school students build a tiny house

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Tiny houses may seem like a relatively modern-day concept, but according to Parametric Architecture, tents, igloos, yurts, and huts were once considered average-size dwellings. As a matter of fact, in 1845, American naturalist and essayist Henry David Thoreau was ahead of the curve, building a 14-meter-square (roughly 50-square-foot) cabin at Walden Pond.

Today, tiny houses continue to grow in popularity, due in part to shows like “Tiny House, Big Living” and “Tiny House Nation,” and because many folks want to simplify their lives and live more sustainably. Though some might say that millennials made the modern-day tiny house movement popular, members of Generation Alpha (those born between 2010 and 2024) are picking up the reins. Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School (MVRHS) senior Emily (“Emmy”) MacMillan, with the help of friends, classmates, teachers, and the community, is building a tiny house in shop class.

“I’ve always wanted to do a project like this. I watched a lot of tiny house renovations and bus renovations online. Especially during COVID. I tried to convince my mom to buy a bus. She didn’t go for it,” Emily laughs. “But I also think tiny houses are a good solution to the housing crisis, and I thought, ‘What’s a better time than building one my senior year?’”

Emily’s cohort, Sawyer Schaefer, shares, ”I grew up doing carpentry jobs with my dad, so I wanted to take a class to expand that more, because it is a good skill to have. Emmy and I have been friends a long time, and it’s great to be able to work together.”

The shop class is run by William Seabourne, who has been teaching for 20 years. “This was all Emily’s idea, and she’s had a lot to think about — composting toilet, graywater tank, solar, heating and cooling, electricity. The project is going great. Emmy is an exceptional young woman. She has been exposed to several areas of learning, including construction, construction science, estimating, community engagement, and driving a trailer.”

Though Emily is the architect, lead carpenter, and project manager, other students are on board. “In the other class there are 18 freshmen who do some things so they can learn the basics,” she says. “It’s really helpful, because they can do more labor-intensive work, so we have more time to focus on other things.”

The goal is to get the house built by the end of the year. “Emily and Sawyer have always been quick to roll up their sleeves and get busy,” Seabourne says. “From their first Adirondack chair to this tiny house, they have put in some solid hours in the shop, and it shows in the quality of their work. Since Emily is a senior, we’re shooting to get it finished by graduation. Other kids help, which is great, because there is a lot to do before the end of the year.”

The project is well underway. Emily says, “Currently we have all the walls up, and the rough openings for the doors and windows are all cut. Right now we are waterproofing the exterior and putting the windows up.”

Tackling any new project has its challenges. “For me it was hard to nail down a plan at first,” says Emily. “I was bouncing between ideas. Remembering: ‘Oh yeah, you need plumbing and electricity. The water tank has to fit in somewhere.’ And then also trying to not make it look like a clown car,” she laughs.

Regardless of the hurdles, Emily has found many aspects of the building process very rewarding. “I really love having creative freedom. I love interior design stuff, so now I get to do that with this project, and it’s really fun.”

Sawyer says that her favorite part so far has been the hands-on building and working with Emily and Seaborne. “He always makes us feel included when teaching, sharing all the responsibilities, and he empowers us by giving us independence and support. For example, he encourages us to create our own ideas for projects, and gives us the space, materials, and guidance needed to execute the projects.”

Though Emily and Sawyer are not heading into carpentry as a full-time profession after graduation, they aren’t abandoning the practice, either. “I am going to college, just not sure where yet,” Emily says. “I want to focus on something along the lines of social work, or peace and justice, but also I’d like to continue doing something creative. Someone suggested taking the tiny house idea and making it a business. I want to do something that has an impact; and I’ll keep doing some kind of carpentry projects, at the bare minimum.”

Sawyer says she’s currently in the process of choosing between schools: “I’m not sure if I want to pursue nursing or something in healthcare in general. I feel like taking carpentry has taught me so much. I will definitely keep using it throughout my life. It’s just such a good life skill to have. To be able to fix or build stuff. Being able to do this makes you more independent.”

Emily agrees: “I think carpentry has made me feel empowered. I don’t have to rely on my parents, and I don’t need a man in my life to do those things for me, because I can do them myself. I think carpentry has made me more confident and more comfortable with who I am.”

She says that alongside her classmates John Nunes, Dionata Da Silva, Warren Cabana, Sawyer, and teacher Seabourne, the Island community has supported her in a variety of ways. “We’ve had multiple donations, and members from the community helping, including my old art teacher, who helped me with the design,” she says.

Some of the organizations and people who helped Emily along the way include South Mountain Co., Crane Appliance, CompoCloset, Haynes Plumbing and Caretaking, Lisa Magnarelli, Elsbeth Todd, and MVRHS’s Career Technical Education Department.

“When you have a goal or something you want to build or achieve, everyone in the community is supportive,” Sawyer adds. “Especially because it’s a male-dominated field, and we had so many people who supported us because of that. One person told me, ‘If you had a construction company, I’d love to hire you.’”