Micro Dwell 2012 at The Shemer Art Center

Micro Dwell 2012 is an exhibit of owner built micro dwellings that will take place at the Shemer Art Center in Phoenix, Arizona from November 4 – December 31, 2012.  The exhibit will showcase the design build features of small modular structures, their varied uses, alternative construction techniques, and cost effectiveness…with varied designs from practical to artistic, as well as the creative efforts of each builder.. MicroDwell 2012 will highlight the positive benefits to the environment by conscientious materials selection, use of salvage materials, and minimialization of waste.  Structures are 600 square feet or less, self contained, modular, and portable.   The larger goal of Micro-Dwell 2012 is to infuse the community with ideas about availability of building materials and resources, affordability, and to demonstrate hands-on construction techniques. It is the desire of the organizers of the event that Micro-Dwell 2012 will be the springboard for a groundswell of activity that takes green living to a new, more widespread level within the community.

Free live workshops and various D.I.Y. demonstrations will be offered. Lectures by knowledgeable speakers are also scheduled. Popular topics include building as a solar generator, and finding and using salvaged materials.

Visit the Micro Dwell 2012 website for more details and information.

The Shemer Art Center
5005 E. Camelback Rd.
Phoenix, AZ 85018 

For various reasons, some people around the world are living and working in small spaces. In densely populated areas, available living space demands small-sized dwellings. For some, the benefits of small architectural spaces are economic, which means less percentage of income is spent on housing and operating costs, leaving more funds available to meet other needs. For others, the choice of a minimalist lifestyle is appealing and deliberate because of their desire to reduce their footprint on the environment, or to spend less time and expense on property maintenance and more on other pursuits. Within the movement towards small, affordable housing and work spaces, there are those who have taken the idea even further, and are creating extremely small, pre-manufactured, modular structures that can be easily built, moved and configured to meet a variety of needs.

Against this backdrop of the Micro-Dwelling movement, a group of individuals with varied backgrounds and similar interests came together in Phoenix, Arizona in 2010. They are artists, fabricators, sculptors, architects, students, business owners, and others. They represent a wide age range, and have differing levels of building experience from amateur to professional. In the course of meeting each other and doing business, it was apparent that several were working towards the same goal of building self-contained, portable, habitable structures that are mini-architectural jewels. It was obvious by the enthusiastic response of others to the ideas and plans that are in progress, and to the structures they have already built, that there is a demand for dwellings such as these.