Elizabeth Turnbull was planning for Yale grad school and started estimating her future living expenses. As an incoming Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies student, Elizabeth calculated that she would spend ~$14,000 over two years of school and wanted to do something effective with that money. So she channeled a little inspiration from Tumbleweed Tiny House and decided to build her own tiny home as economically as possible.

So far, she’s made incredible progress building the 8′ x 18′ modish home on a flatbed trailer. By the time she’s done, the off-grid home will price out just over $11,000 or so. And it’s surprisingly spacious inside, too.

Elizabeth’s Tiny House will have a sleeping loft, storage loft, study nook, kitchen area, living area, and a bathroom. When complete, she’ll tow the entire home to New Haven for the start of the academic year.

You’ll notice the simple passive design. During the winter, the side with all the windows will gather sunlight. During the summer, she’ll turn the trailer around and leave the slanted roof facing the sun. Three solar panels will power her computer, lights, and other electronics in the home. The tiny house has a small shower, composting toilet, and propane to heat the home when necessary.

[+] Yale Student to Bring Tiny House to Campus by Hartford Courant.

Photo credits: Stephen Dunn.