Guy Tries Simple Living Experiment By Building a Home in a Dumpster

Dr. Jeff Wilson, professor at Huston-Tillotson University in Austin, Texas, has been living in a 36-square-foot dumpster. It’s part research, part social experiment, and part to learn how to “to gradually transform the dumpster into ‘the most thoughtfully-designed, tiniest home ever constructed.’ ”   

“Professor Dumpster” began his experiment with the most bare bones – a guy in a [clean] dumpster – and has slowly gone through several phases, adding storage, paint, furniture, a water supply, and an AC unit to handle the tough Austin summers. 

The Atlantic piece by James Hamblin quotes the project’s web site: ” ‘What does home look like in a world of 10 billion people?’ the project’s site implores, referring to the projected 40 percent increase in the human population by the end of the century. ‘How do we equip current and future generations with the tools they need for sustainable living practices?’ “

I’m always a sucker for a tiny house experiment, and I’m interested by the academic spin of monitoring and sharing the environment and resource concerns. I don’t know if this ‘data’ is anymore legit than the well-publicized anecdotal evidence we’ve seen before, but it seems like the results could lead to something pretty special. 

Check out the full piece on TheAtlantic.com: Living Simply in a Dumpster – One professor left his home for a 36-square-foot open-air box, and he is happier for it. How much does a person really need?