MICRO MODULA: WHAT'S IN THE NAME?
Mariah Hoffman
Photo: A very tired builder
MICRO MODULA: WHAT’S IN THE NAME?
As we kick off 2022, I figured this would be a great time to reset and reorient with the origins of Micro Modula and the meaning behind this name.
Back in 2016 when I was just starting my tiny house build I was looking for a way to brand and catalogue my journey. I was struggling because I wanted to capture so much. As a designer, an artist, or any creative, it can be tricky capturing the essence of something that is inherently multi-faceted. Even beyond the tiny house build, I wanted to create a container for an intentional lifestyle and design brand, an evolving creative/ architectural practice and a vessel for community and conversation.
At the time I was managing a DIY fabrication facility and learning all about different tools, processes and materials. I began thinking about materials as metaphor. I was also living in a renovated trailer (rented from a friend) and beginning to integrate a minimalist lifestyle regularly. I continued to take inspiration from my own experiences and exploring modular furniture design, pre-fab housing, and the future of accessible design. The tiny house movement was just starting to ramp up and more and more tiny house channels were popping up everyday. But I wasn’t interested in the novelty. Even to this day, I don’t really feel comfortable being a “tiny house” exclusive brand. I wanted my house to be the starting point for a larger conversation. So I started playing around with different iterations of these words/ themes.
Micro (my-crow): Human-centered, intentional, minimalist, resilient
Modula (mod-u-la): Modular, adaptable, scalable, transformative
Micro Modula came from synthesizing all these ideas. Now Micro Modula explores the architecture of HOME, PLACE, and the SELF. Micro Modula is multi-disciplinary design studio grounded in the values of intention, resilience and impact. From small-scale design services, to public space place-holding, to intentional lifestyle coaching, I hope that Micro Modula can continue to serve as a vessel for human-centered design solutions.
6 years later, I am constantly reminded that this brand, this business, is a conversation. This conversation has grown (as have I) to speak on things like the meaning of ‘home,’ safety and agency, public space and spatial politics, and the intersectionality of architecture. I can’t say for certain what Micro Modula will look like in 5, 10, or 20 years. But I’m grateful to be here and in this conversation now.
Thanks for reading,
~Mariah
Photo: Stacy Keck