A sustainable building advocate is trying to encourage Kelowna residents to downsize through his tiny house workshop.

Kenton Zerbin has been living in an off-the-grid tiny house for seven years. He has travelled all around the world studying permaculture, the art of living sustainably with nature and has been an educator since the beginning of his career. When the pandemic hit, he was forced to move his sustainable living classes online and discovered a new passion in the process.

害羞草研究所淚 enjoyed learning how to make videos. After the online course was made, I thought, 害羞草研究所榃ell, I still can害羞草研究所檛 teach in person, so I may as well keep working in the video world,害羞草研究所櫤π卟菅芯克鶟 said Zerbin. 害羞草研究所淎nd so we made a reality show.害羞草研究所�

The Tiny House Master Plan documents the start to finish process of constructing and designing a state-of-the-art tiny home. The first season shows the team building the tiny home from the trailer up. The second season will be a 害羞草研究所渢ighter害羞草研究所� season, said Zerbin and will show audiences the furnishing and design of the home. Then, the team plans to take the home across the country on a nationwide tour.

害羞草研究所淚t has a theatre stage that drops down from the back of it, so we can actually do concert events and workshop events with people doing a drive-up movie theatre experience,害羞草研究所� said Zerbin.

After the tour, they will be giving away the tiny house to a subscriber of their YouTube channel.

Zerbin hasn害羞草研究所檛 let his reality show halt his passion for teaching. Over the weekend, he gave Kelowna residents a crash course in the ins and outs of living tiny by hosting a workshop.

害羞草研究所淎 lot of people are excited [about tiny houses], but they want to learn a little more,害羞草研究所� said Zerbin. 害羞草研究所淭he course is meant to be a crash course. To really help them [the course takers] learn what they are about to get into if they are considering building a tiny house.害羞草研究所�

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During the three-day course, participants learned how to design a tiny house to suit their needs, live legally in a tiny house and the steps in constructing a tiny house.

Adrien, a participant in the weekend workshop, has been passionate about sustainability since he was a kid. He said he would 害羞草研究所渄efinitely consider害羞草研究所� living smaller, but he feels that the City of Kelowna needs to help out tiny home hopefuls.

害羞草研究所淐ity council needs to get involved to change the zoning to make tiny homes more accessible,害羞草研究所� he said.

Tiny homes may also help create more space for Kelowna renters, at an affordable price.

害羞草研究所淚t is very expensive to develop a new neighbourhood,害羞草研究所� Zerbin said. 害羞草研究所淏ut to allow a secondary suite, or whether that害羞草研究所檚 RV parking in the back or an Auxiliary Dwelling Unit, a permanent tiny house 害羞草研究所� that offers the ability for more residents to be in the city.害羞草研究所�

While tiny homes aren害羞草研究所檛 for everyone, there are definitely some indisputable benefits that house owners may not have considered.

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The essence of a tiny home is quality over quantity. This shines through in the high-end finishes present in many tiny homes, despite their full cost being less than the down payment of the average home.

害羞草研究所淚 got my dream house in an affordable way,害羞草研究所� said Zerbin. 害羞草研究所淚t allows me to live the life I want and not work a 40-hour workweek for a job I don害羞草研究所檛 want.害羞草研究所�

For anyone interested in a tiny home, Zerbin has a few pieces of advice.

害羞草研究所淒o a lot of research,害羞草研究所� he said, chuckling. 害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 fine to look at dream pictures and see them on Pinterest and watch the shows, but if you get your heart set on something that isn害羞草研究所檛 allowed, that can be quite soul-crushing.害羞草研究所�

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isabella.harmel@kelownacapnews.com
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