Ingenuity : “The Gypsy Junker”

Micro-shelters, built by Derek Diedricksen at his home in Stoughton, Mass. Original NY Times article by Joyce Wadler.

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Every summer, as a teen, my parents would send me off to an all boys camp where unlike the rest of my sports fanatic friends, I spent the better part of my days surveying, gathering and planning for the sure to be built mini cities of my still vivid imagination.

Inspired by my then idol “RAMBO” and with my overall fascination of the woods, I was often found dragging heavy planks of fallen water towers, yanking them up into the trees and building what I will only later learn was my very first, reclaimed, and possibly 100% Eco friendly tree house castle. The irony of it all, my partner in crime, who is still my best friend, was the camp leading sports star and yet even he needed to fill his craving for some woodsman adventure.

Nowadays, we find content with the occasional fishing excursion and to suffice his sport competitive nature I of course always let him reel in the larger catch. That is, if I even catch anything at all.

Eventually I went on to outgrow my fixation of camo and military esthetica (hey, it makes me feel better to think there was one) into what I may now be better known for, my preference of rather vivid colors juxtaposed to an existing sophisticated and often complex architecture.

Yet as I come across these often delightful and creative mini-shelters I cant help but share them with you and let us all find some inspiration from their cleverness and ingenuity.

( photos: Erik Jacobs via NY Times )