2022: REFLECTIONS

Photo: Mariah with TSOA cohort and instructors on first day of classes, Arcosanti, 2022

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2022: No Hot Takes, Just Thoughts and Feelings

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Hi friends,

I’ve been feeling the annual pressure that comes with wrapping up 2022 in a nice bow, and having 2023 perfectly-packacked into goals and resolutions. If I’m being honest, this year I don’t have it in me. Not that I didn’t have goals in 2022, or that I didn’t accomplish them. In fact, I accomplished a shit ton of them! But this year I feel called to do a different kind of reflection, a softer one.

My favorite writer of all time (if I haven’t talked about her enough) is Octavia Butler. If you haven’t read her Parables, pleaseeee do yourself a favor and experience them. She talks a lot about change, and in her “religion”, Earthseed, God is change. She writes: “All that you touch you change. All that you change changes you. The only lasting truth is change. God is change” . I think about this quote a lot, like, a lot. So this year I feel called to reflect on how I shaped change (either personally or in community).

No hot takes here, just thoughts and feelings.

How I shaped changed in 2022:

• I reflected deeply, witnessed a desire to go back to grad school, and I made it happen.

• I was brutally honest with my needs, and negotiated a significant scholarship to make this ^ happen (more on this some other time).

• I took a big risk, moved away from my partner, moved back to the desert, and joined a cohort of the smartest, weirdest, funniest future architects who are already like family.

• I showed up to classes, helped cook weekly meals, setup lectures, shared presentations, visited my old stomping grounds, laughed and commiserated with my Norwegian roommate, hiked in heat and snow, and tried my best to be present and curious through all of this.

• I worked my ass off and asked lots of questions as I started learning Rhino and other architectural tools that will serve me in my future work.

• I tried my best to be in community with my school cohort, but also with the full-time residents of Arcosanti (Arconauts), even as I (and we) continue to reconcile the problematic history of Paolo Soleri.

• I recognized my need for a better sleep routine especially through a demanding school schedule and I found tools that helped me with this (serious game changer).

• I sang Backstreet Boys at Karaoke.

• I belly laughed more than I remember belly laughing in a long time.

• I cried when I needed to cry.

• I tried my best to support, and be supported by my partner, who is also back in school.

• I gave a damn - about what I was doing, what I was learning, what I could share and who I am becoming.

I’m sure there are more that I missed, but any more and I’ll just be rambling. I still don’t know how many people will even read this. But hopefully something will connect with you.

I ask you, as I ask myself, how will you shape change in 2023?

In gratitude,

-Mariah

Mariah presenting final project for Studio 1.

Back in the Sonoran Desert.

MARIAH'S UPDATE: JUNE 2022

Photo: Mariah at Arcosanti, 2021

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Mariah’s Update: June 2022

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Hi friends,

It’s been a while since I did a free-form blog post like this. But as we near the Summer Solstice (how is it the end of June already?) I feel it’s time to share a mid year check-in on some big changes coming up. Some of you may have have seen my recent Instagram post, but if not, here’s the update.

The Update

I’ve been looking for the right words to share this announcement and the big feelings that come along with it.

I’m thrilled to be starting my Masters of Architecture at @tsoarch this Fall. The program, founded by Frank Lloyd Wright, is now currently housed at Arcosanti, Arizona. After a decade in California, ya girl is coming back to the Sonoran Desert!

I’m beyond excited to join the TSOA family and build upon my self-taught experience in construction and architecture.

The Backstory

2021 was a hard, lonely, financially challenging year after leaving a toxic job. I went inward and tried my best to reset my nervous system after years of survival mode. From that quiet came the clarity to go back to school. Not just any school, but one with desert design/ build emphasis. Synchronicities kept bringing TSOA back into focus.

In 2001 we moved from Chicago to Arizona for my Mom’s job. A lonely 10 year old city kid plopped in the desert. My mom knew I had an interest in architecture, and between her 2 jobs she took me to places like Taliesin West, Arcosanti, and Montezuma Castle. Those core memories stuck with me over the years. Although Arizona holds memories of my most intense family trauma, I finally feel ready to come back and (re)build a decade later. I’ve grown/ grounded, found my agency, and built my own tiny house along the way. After weighing out the grad school decision for many years the timing is finally right.

There’s still a LOT to sort out in the coming months as I navigate a tiny house move, coordinating things with my partner, and organizing my business. More details to come, but I’m genuinely SO EXCITED for this next phase of my journey!

My “Why”

Along with the pull that I feel to ground back to the Sonoran Desert, I sense an evolution happening in my work as well. These past 5 years of the tiny house build have taught me so much about design, fabrication, project management, community, persistence, patience, intentionality…the list goes on.

I am eager to continue this thread of accessible housing. I still love small scale residential architecture. My aim in going back to TSOA is to leverage my DIY experiences adding explorations in natural building, indigenous technologies, and sustainable pre-fab construction. Each 3rd year student is required to design + build a shelter for their thesis. I can’t wait to see how that project turns out!

What does this mean for Micro Modula?

As a a planner, I’d love to be able to say that I my business is “all figured out”, production is on auto-pilot, and that I will be able to perfectly navigate both grad school and a small business. That’s just not the case. I’m learning to let go of my own achieving expectations of this while still maintaining intentionality in my business.

Products: Any earrings that I have on hand will still be available for sale on my website. I am looking into outsourcing a trusted CNC fabricator to maintain table production or at least have a back-stock available for shipping.

Services: In the short-term, I am looking to slowly evolve my digital services via e-courses, digital downloads, and consult calls as my bandwidth will allow. In the long-term, with my Masters in Architecture, I will be able to apply for licensure. I hope to explore curated design/ build services for ADU’s, tiny homes, and small-scale sustainable homes (stay tuned!).

The Brand: I will have to navigate the best way to continue communicating with my audience. Whether that be Instagram, Newsletter updates, or finally investing energy into my YouTube page.

Thanks for reading and for joining me on this journey. Here’s to more failures, more stories, more community, more grounding, and more connecting the dots.

In community,

-Mariah

Explore More

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Explore More ⬇ ⬇

• Curious to learn more about my new school? Check out the TSOA website here:

• If you’re feeling generous and would like to support my grad school startup and moving expenses, check out my GoFundMe.

5 WAYS TO FUND A TINY HOUSE BUILD

Photo cred: Stacy Keck

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5 WAYS TO FUND A TINY HOUSE BUILD

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I get a lot of questions about costs associated with my tiny house build and how to plan financially. Although I am NOT a financial advisor (you should always seek legal counsel when it comes to large financial decisions), I can share with you my perspective on options for funding a DIY tiny house project. If you are like me, you might have to implement a combination of the options below to see your project through.

1. PAYCHECK-TO-PAYCHECK

Although this option may not be the quickest way to see a tiny house project through, for many folks (myself included) this may be the only option. If you are embarking on your own DIY tiny house build, it still a good idea to conduct a feasibility and cost study to project roughly the total costs of your ideal tiny house design. That way you at least have a better sense of what you are getting yourself into.

2. CROWDFUNDING

Ok, this one is tricky. I’ll just say that this option of funding can serve a great purpose if you have or are experiencing serious hardship and are looking for ways to kickstart your project funding. Just know that before you use a platform like GoFundme etc, those platforms do take a percentage of the donations. Also, using a platform like this relies on your ability to share with your own network. So if you don’t have a following on Facebook, Instagram or at least through your email network, it can be tricky sharing your message with the public. If you do decide to use a crowdfunding platform, think about incentivizing donations or at least sending ‘Thank-You’s’ to those who contribute. A platform like Gofundme is better suited for an individual DIY’er sharing their story, vs something like Kickstarter which is more suited for launching a specific business idea with an expected return for the customer. I’m curious if others have seen success with crowdfunding a tiny house project?

3. SAVINGS

Not to state the obvious, but you can also decide to use personal savings if that’s a route that’s available to you. For those in the position of having savings, I would consider saving enough to complete the whole build or at least get enough to get the shell built and water-tight. Otherwise having to start and stop in between major construction phases can potentially stall the project.

4. FINANCING

If you are looking buy or build a custom tiny home through a licensed contractor, financing might be an option available to you. When I first started my tiny house build in 2015, there were barely any options available for financing, and contractors were just starting to build tiny home for sale. Now there are a variety of builders, some that even have their own exclusive lending options. I can’t speak from personal experience on this, but I recommend reading testimonials and/ or doing your due diligence before using a new lender.

5. PERSONAL LOAN

If you’re like me, you might just need a boost to get tarted. I used a small personal loan from a local credit union to be able to purchase my trailer and kickstart my project. Again, be mindful of interest rates with loans always and be sure that you can pay it back. In my case, I was able to pay off this loan in a couple years and I had the cash on hand to negotiate to snag my perfect trailer when the opportunity arose.

So how much does a tiny house cost? This is not a sexy answer, but the reality is IT ALL DEPENDS. Custom build vs pre-built, DIY vs hiring a builder, on-wheels vs on a foundation etc. All of these factors impact the project costs.

Explore More:

• If you want to explore the feasibility and costs of your dream tiny house project, take a look at this FEASIBILITY TOOLKIT to help you work through the details!

• Read my full Budget Breakdown article on my specific tiny house costs.

Do you have other options for funding not listed above that you would like to share? I’d love to hear it!