Sicily Kolbeck is no ordinary 12-year-old. As a part of her seventh-grade curriculum for the school year, the Marietta, Georgia, preteen is building her own solar-powered house—what she calls “La Petite Maison.”
“A tiny house is a way of life. I love the compactness and the simplicity,” says Kolbeck, who was inspired by Kirsten Dirksen’s documentary, We, The Tiny House People. “No one really understood why I would want to do this. Tiny houses, in my opinion, symbolize freedom and independence. You peel away all of the accumulated stuff and then there you are, the real you.”
In January, the young entrepreneur turned to the crowd-funding platform Indiegogo.com to raise the remaining funds she needed. In three weeks, she had exceeded her $1,500 goal, bringing in $1,660 total. Those funds, combined with supplies donated by various companies, have made it possible for Kolbeck to realize her vision: a 128-square-foot, energy-independent house, complete with a 30-square-foot loft, a full bathroom, and a full kitchen.
Follow her progress at tinymaison.blogspot.com.
