**Update 4/20/15:

Wow, we are thankful, humbled, inspired, and joyful about the outpouring of support for the Impossible City, a series of builds where youth team with professionals to build for a Seattle homeless community. Thanks so much to each and every one of you for checking out this project and supporting it. 

We’d build a tiny house for every resident of Nickelsville if we could, but we decided to start with six projects to get us started. That approach is part of our Sawhorse philosophy: Have an idea? Try it out, and if it works and makes sense, do it again, do it more, and make it better.  And in this spirit, we are thrilled to announce our decision to add a stretch goal to our Indiegogo Campaign.

Funding Complete:

With your help, we can add two more tiny houses!!

With your continued support, we can add more opportunities for young people to design and build a passive, off-grid, transportable house, and more roofs over someone’s head at night. 

But why stop there? 

If all goes well, for every $5,350 we raise above the previous goal, we’ll build another structure!

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Thank you so much to a group of fantastic sponsors who have offered to start off the giving with a series of Challenge Grants:

River Styx Foundation
Mia and Ken Williford
Anonymous donors

And check out our video credits at the end of the page!

As with all Sawhorse Revolution projects, the builds are guided by professionals in their fields - architecture, engineering and construction. Each project is tailored to the needs of the camp and crafted to be of the highest quality, incorporating sustainable materials and building techniques, beautiful design, and a user-centered approach to architecture. Since the Nickelsville Homeless Community moves every 3-18 months, every structure we build will be collapsible or easily transportable. Here are a few key aspects of the Impossible City Builds:

Iterative Design and Build Programs

Each project visits the encampment’s needs anew, learning from previous projects and building on the relationships created. 

Human-Centered Design

Our projects seek to understand end-users’ real needs and create a physical product that addresses these needs. Each structure is custom-tailored and hand-crafted using quality materials. 

Use Green Practices to Assuage Homelessness

We believe that disaster architecture, green building, and off-grid living practices can play a crucial role in alleviating the material discomforts and challenges of homelessness. 

Students will research and consider options including:

Solar Hub & Community Cookspace

Composting Latrines

How will the funds be used?

We’re using the funds raised from this campaign to purchase building materials & cover a few basic program expenses for the Impossible City builds. 

Materials costs for each project are capped at $3,250. Creativity flourishes under constraints, and this limited budget will encourage innovative designs and use of donated, salvaged, and up-cycled materials.  

Because specific designs will be created in the upcoming programs, exact numbers are impossible to publish now. However, for each project, we’ll update supporters with precise budgets so that you can see just how your money’s being used!

About $10,150! Your gifts will account for approximately $4,750 of the structure's costs. We'll raise the rest: $3,500 for staffing, and $1900 in materials donations! If you love budgets, you can check out ours here!

What is an encampment?

Self-governed tent cities that provide safety, shelter, and community for the homeless, encampments exist around Seattle. Some of the largest, like those Sawhorse Revolution is working with, are run by non-profits and reside on private or public land. 

Hosting anywhere from 40 – 100 people at a time, these encampments are vital to helping the homeless get back on their feet. Encampments’ structural needs are many, since the tent cities move every 3-12 months and are typically off-grid with extremely limited amenities.

Seattle currently hosts at least three large (40-100 residents each), formal encampments, with three more announced by Seattle Mayor Ed Murray in 2015. 

Who lives at encampments?

People from all walks of life can end up homeless, but the approximate breakdown at Nickelsville is 2/3 men, and 1/3 women and families. At any point in time, a few to a dozen children live at the Nickelsville Homeless Community. 

Why encampments?

24/7 Security

Encampments have round-the-clock security so that residents can have a good night’s sleep. 

Improved success in transitioning to permanent housing

Residents in formal encampments transition to permanent housing to at a much higher rate than typical shelters or informal camps due to a variety of factors.

Community and Dignity

“If you live here, you work here” is a central motto for camps. Contributing to the life of the camp provides individuals with a sense of purpose and the group with a village-like bond. Privacy is also a plus for residents, especially those with children, as compared to noisy shelters.

Sobriety

Encampments have boundaries and rules about substance use, helping the community and the individuals become healthier. 

Secure storage

One surprising barrier people experiencing homelessness face is storage. You need a secure spot to keep your things in order to go to work or job interviews! 

About Sawhorse Revolution

Sawhorse Revolution brings holistic, project-based education in carpentry and construction to diverse Seattle teens. Students work with professional builders to create inspiring structures in their own neighborhoods, fostering character, community, and confidence in the process. 

Photo Credits

from beginning in video: Nate Watters; Nate Watters

from top to bottom on page: Daniel Adler; Jenny Crooks, Office of Arts & Culture; Nate Watters; Nate Watters; SR; SR; Nate Watters; SR; Nate Watters

Media Created by:

Animation: Kolin Pope www.kolinpope.com

Video: Dom Campese www.dominiccampese.com

Animation Voiceover: Zoe Lammer

Animation Music: Michael Wohl www.michaelwohlmusic.com

Footage credits:
at Nickelsville: Dom Campese
at Fortnight Summer Camp: Angus McCullough www.angusmccullough.com
at Sawhorse Revolution Programs: Elliot Trotter www.elliottrotter.com

Artist's Renderings of Project Shortlist: Jennifer Danison

Revolutionary Bandana: Emmy E. Smith

Anti-Robot Victorious Carpentry Squad: Pete Wieben