December 2019 Newsletter
Christmas in a MINI HOUSE is a magical feeling… because it makes you think of what is really important at Christmas! Is it the tree, the many gifts, the excess of food and drinks, etc.? No! It is the joy of sharing, unconditional love, compassion and special family time for me.
Hope you are feeling the magic too!
Best wishes,
Nina
Great Achievements
The last couple of weeks were excitingly busy for us - filled with the joy of achievements and compliments - confirming that we are going in the right direction and that our current minimalistic lifestyle is inspiring so many people.
I-med Clinic Finished
Our first priority was the completion of the “iMed clinic” - an amazing community project - www.imed.ngo. The MINI HOUSE we built for a German doctor couple is a pilot project located in Masakhane. This Mhouse was close to being delivered at the end of June, but then the fire changed our plans dramatically. We’re happy to report, that our second attempt has been successful, and if all continues to go well, more of these wonderful clinics built for teaching about alternative medicine - will be initiated all over the world. I can’t wait for the first educational class to happen in the I-med clinic! Their official opening will be sometime in Feb/March 2020.
Amazing Review
A couple of days ago we had a young architect - who just recently graduated on the Dean’s honors list - visit us. He was impressed with our MINI HOUSE so I asked him to write a review.
Here it is: In the words of one of the modernist masters:
“Less is more [Ludwig Mies van der Rohe]. I believe, the compact nature of the building envelope allows for easy site adaptivity and a light touch on the earth on which it stands.
I found the true beauty of the building through the use of materials and craftsmanship. The longevity of the structural spruce allows for a building envelope that will stand through generations. The internal spaces gesture into one another, this open plan design allows for a fluid experience for the users.
The MINI HOUSE is the perfect response for those looking for a more externalized life. I found the proportions of the openings, when compared to the internal spaces to draw the user outwards to the surrounding external spaces."
Review Written By:
- Daniel Daruty de Grandpré
- Bachelor of Architecture studies
- University of KwaZulu - Natal
New Spacious Workshop
The second goal achieved in the last couple of weeks was the rebuilding of the workshop on the foundation of our old house. Roland and his team - with extremely valuable support from Luke Boshoff - finished the roof structure with the spruce beams in a matter of just a few days. On the 7th of December, the roof sheets were up and mounted - incredibly fast! The finishing and details are still in progress but the protection against any bad weather is almost done.
The wooden frame structures, see pic above right-hand side, are so-called “solar spoilers” - designed for harvesting midmorning to afternoon sun for the workshop and our MINI HOUSES on site. The demo M-house will be available to test and rent via AirBnB once our future home in the making is finished and we have moved out - probably mid of next year sometime.
Website
Our third achievement we are happy to share is that: We are finally presented on the world wide web, thanks to Xplorio and its great team - www.xplorio.com/gansbaai/m-houses. Interested people can now easily find more information about our MINI HOUSES online and getting in touch with us is just a mouse click away.
This positive progress will carry on into 2020 - and we are ready for orders once you are ready.
OUR COMPLIMENTS OF THE SEASON & A HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
Roland & Nina
