Six Words
A Cabin on Wheels
We asked new alumni to wrap up their experience at the College of Design with a six-word story. Tweet @UofMDesign to share yours.
Bought bus for thesis. New home? —Hank Butitta (M.Arch ’13)
Life’s little secret: it goes on. — Elizabeth Adler (B.D.A. ’13)
Fashion, design, business all in one! — Erin Stranik (B.S. Retail Merchandising ’13)
Graduated. Debt. Pay debt. World travel. — Hannah Preble (Interior Design ’13)
Ideas had, passion grew, purpose found. — Devan Shihata (B.D.A. ’13)
Merging graphics with products with passion. — Connor Murphy (B.F.A. Graphic Design ’13)
Most architecture master’s projects don’t start with rusted floors.
“I WAS TIRED OF DOING PROJECTS
But when Hank Butitta (M.Arch ’13) bought a bus THAT EXISTED ONLY on Craigslist, he was already committed to the dream: ON PAPER” a cabin on wheels. His —Hank Butitta, M.Arch ’13 grandfather owns 80 acres in Wisconsin and Butitta had long wanted a cabin for his friends and family, but it was cost prohibitive to build a permanent structure. “I was tired of doing projects that existed only on paper,” said Butitta. So he bought a bus, hoping he could justify
it as a final project and move it to his grandfather’s property after graduation. His advisers gave the thumbs up and the School of Architecture let him keep the bus behind Rapson Hall. He had one semester to complete the project. Butitta added wooden floors and ceilings to the interior, recessed LED lighting, enough room to sleep six people, and a space for a future kitchen and bathroom.
Butitta watching the sunrise over Yellowstone National Park—with his tiny home on wheels
His advisers encouraged him to continue after this thesis presentation, so over the summer he embarked on a 5,000mile road trip from Minneapolis to Seattle, down to San Francisco and Las Vegas, before heading back to Minnesota to test the functionality of the bus. Follow his blog at hankboughtabus.com. More design.umn.edu/hanksbus
I was given a second chance. — Miranda Hanson (B.S. Housing ’13)
I have finally found my passion. — T.J. Atkinson (B.S. Housing ’13)
Four words: work harder, better, faster. — Steve Lees (B.S. Arch ’13)
Terrified of entering the real world. — Nik Yahya Nik Rushdi (B.F.A. Graphic Design ’13)
4 EMERGING FALL 2013
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