modern world big idea As Brian and Joni Buzarde closed in on their 30s, they were eager to settle down in a place of their own. But there was a problem: Neither knew where their fledgling careers would take them. So they devised a solution that was unorthodox but practical, and they built a house that could go with them no matter where they ended up. Their 236-square-foot trailer—which Brian’s brother, Brandon, nicknamed Woody—has made upward mobility possible, having moved with them from Austin, Texas, to the Rocky Mountains hamlet of Marble, Colorado. Before finding its current mooring, this modern backcountry cabin on wheels was nestled in a trailer park not far from cattle ranches and wilderness trails, where the couple’s home stood apart from the clunky double-wides and anchored Airstreams that surrounded it. Altogether, Woody cost about $50,000 to build. The couple put Brian’s skills as a recent architecture school graduate to the test by designing it themselves. They decided early on that they would take on all of the construction work, too, even though they had no experience. “Just doing it was a leap of faith,” Brian says. “We maxed out all the assets we had. Most of our family members thought we were crazy.” They started by purchasing a 26-footlong flatbed chassis for about $7,000 and then bolted on walls made from structural insulated panels—foam insulation sandwiched between sections of oriented strand board. The cedar-clad trailer is slightly taller at the back, giving it an angular, contemporary shape. It is eight and a half feet wide and reaches a height of 131/2 feet at its tallest point, reaching legal limits for highway travel without a special permit. Inside, the dominant material is birch-veneer plywood—a modern choice, versatile enough to serve as walls, floor, ceiling, and kitchen cabinets. The place is full of tiny-house efficiencies: There’s a loft bed, a half-size refrigerator, and eight-inch-deep storage compartments built into the floor. The bathtub is a galvanized-steel cow trough, and a closet area omits a formal dresser in favor of hanging baskets. A large sliding-glass door cuts down on interior storage possibilities but adds Container Store finds, like galvanized-steel shelving in the kitchen (left), maximize storage. The birch-plywood cabinets, floor storage space, and banquette (above) were all designed and built by the couple. Learning as they went, they opted for an industrial look for plumbing and electric. “We knew we didn’t really have the skill to be fussy, so we just embraced that and went with it,” Brian explains. 54
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