Kurt Hughes is a boatbuilder by trade who makes a living designing catamarans. He is ultra-handy and has always been fascinated and puzzled by the design of the Apollo lunar landers. Using his background in nautical design, Kurt decided to explore his curiosity and recreated a mock lunar lander on the banks of the Columbia River as a summer home. The best part, Kurt wants to share what he learned from the project for anyone interested and has made his designs available. MORE INFO HERE.
“Relying on boat-building methods, Hughes avoided nail framing and created his own carbon-fiber structural insulated panels (SIPs) using his pioneering “Ziploc Space Bags”: a vacuum bagged plywood, epoxy mix light enough to be transported from his Seattle backyard to his riverfront resort on the back of his pickup truck. The shelter actually relies on the biaxial fiberglass used in catamarans for its structural strength.
Hughes believes his ultra-light tiny home – the 250-square-foot structure weighs just 3,000 pounds – can, and should, be replicated, especially for those building tiny homes on wheels where weight is paramount. He’s working on a manual to show others how to create their own SIP panels.”
