NY Artist Builds Tiny House Quonset Hut on Wheels
As an artist, Jean-Marc Superville Sovak is accustomed to creating beautiful works of art, but there is one project in particular he describes as the best art he has ever done — a tiny house Quonset Hut™.
Over the last year, he and his family have worked little by little on their tiny Quonset Hut™ home. Sovak says right from the start, his vision was clear about what he wanted.
“So when I started looking at ideas for tiny home designs, the choice was obvious. Obvious to me, anyway, as I haven’t found a tiny house design like this yet,” says Sovak.
He knew he wanted to build a tiny home, but he did not want to build a traditional style house. He wanted something that he and his family could create together and something that was unique. He chose an S-Model SteelMaster building to start his project.
“The typical wood structure seemed a bit cumbersome to me,” says Sovak. “The steel structure would be lighter than any wood frame. I wouldn’t have built it with any other structure.”
The Beginning
Before he started to build, he did a little research online to find a company that could meet his needs. He says he found SteelMasterusa.com and began searching through the gallery for inspiration.
“When I first saw a SteelMaster building, I was in love! Why? They’re steel, pre-fabricated, highly engineered and just look so friggin cool.”
His mind was already set on creating his dream tiny home Quonset Hut, but his wife Julie Chibbaro needed a little convincing.
This Quonset Hut would not be the first project the two have worked on together. Chibbaro is a novelist who has written several books. Her husband provides the illustrations for her published works.
After explaining the advantages of living in a tiny house Quonset Hut, Sovak says his wife eventually warmed up to the idea and is now all in.
The two features of the Quonset Hut that he says attracted him the most were the open space available and the fact that he could put the building up on his own. The simple arch design of the Quonset Hut is self-supporting and does not require beams to hold it up like traditional style buildings. It allows for the maximum use of space inside, which is especially important in a 16 x 11 x 10 steel tiny home. The strong, prefabricated panels are a breeze to put together and SteelMaster’s buildings allow anyone with just a little imagination to build virtually anything they can dream.
“Simply put, what I’ve always wanted to do—to live inside the object of my own creation,” says Sovak.
Getting the Quonset Hut
After Sovak decided he wanted to build a SteelMaster, he called National Sales Manager Thomas Seddon and worked out a deal that fit his budget.
He then purchased a ton dual-axle deckover galvanized trailer on which to build his new steel tiny home. He had a little help raising the arches, but Sovak says it’s primarily just his wife and daughter who are all working together to build their tiny home Quonset Hut.
“I’m working on a “build it and it will come” strategy,” says Sovak.
Even before he put together the first panel, his SteelMaster started to get plenty of attention. He took his trailer loaded with the disassembled building to a sculpture exhibition in Newburgh, NY and people responded very positively to the idea of a tiny home Quonset Hut. That’s when Sovak decided it was time to build his tiny Quonset Hut home.
Right now, he has the panels erected and has reached a midway point in his project. He is now planning the interior of the building and has framing in place for the front endwall. Sovak has decided to mix the modern look of his steel panels with the more traditional of cedar. He wants to include two loft beds inside and he is going to partition the home horizontally.
Hitting the Road
Although this tiny house Quonset Hut is not yet completed, it has already done a little traveling. Sovak says he and his family have not settled on a permanent place for the home, but they’ve had a few gracious friends who have hosted them while they are searching for a space.
Despite a few challenges, Sovak says he has enjoyed the experience.
“It was a lot of fun putting it together,” he says.
Now he is working on the next phase of his project and SteelMaster will be there every step of the way.
More Quonset Hut Inspiration:
Award-Winning Architect Wants To Help You Build A DIY Quonset Hut™ Home
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