Tiny Texas Houses pioneer digs personal lake & crafts village around it
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 1 มิ.ย. 2024
- When we first met Tiny Texas Houses' founder Brad Kittel 10 years ago he had built dozens of tiny homes from the remains of abandoned houses on his 43-acre town of Salvage, Texas. In the past decade, he has moved on to sculpt the earth around his hamlet, creating 20-foot-deep lagoons, bayous, moats and a Walden pond in Texas."
- Watch the video of our first visit to Brad back in 2014: • Tiny Texas Houses' "Wi...
He now has “5 miles of coastline” for kayaking and swimming, but these extensive waterways are also Kittel’s solution to growing food on the dry clay of his property. He has created a complex system of canals connected by pipe that moves water across the property.
Kittel’s system doesn’t just irrigate his food forest, but given his location on the site of a former foundry, the plants, like cattails, also clean and filter the water. His property now hosts a diversity of animal life, like beavers, turtles, herons and loons.
All that digging has put Kittel in “the best shape of my life” at age 68. He invites others to join him in Salvage, either as overnight guests or longer term residents by purchasing one of his homes with a long-term land lease.
“Long ago when I began my adventure in earth sculpting none of this existed. I turned this all into a wonderland, for food, for life… a miraculous world out of the imagination and trash.”
tinytexashouses.com/
Our first story with Brad: • Tiny Texas Houses' "Wi...
On *faircompanies: faircompanies.com/videos/oldt... - แนวปฏิบัติและการใช้ชีวิต
The key takeaway here is he’s living his dream, and not financing someone else’s dream. If there were more people like him the world be a better place. Thanks for sharing his story.❤❤❤❤
Yep to must also love landscaping, construction and looking in the earth sublayer, ya I'm digging into bedrock under my stream from a Coldwater spring, but it also getting drain off , but I'll divert the contaminated drain wash with a flume and gotta lotta elevation drop if I need to drain the Glory hole , bedrock town
Classic US Texan ... I want a mountain and lake, so I'll make it. Great job.
Super creative tiny homes. The fact you build a home from 95% upcycled materials is so good. 👍👍
I remember this guy. That style tiny home was my favorite after that episode. Texas tiny homes was the company if I remember.
He’s come a long way since you last featured him. The spring he’s found is an absolute gold mine in Texas. He’s so excited and invested in his dreams and he’s definitely a man of action. Great philosopher too. I’ll bet he wishes he could clone himself so he could build out his village. The renderings he’s drawn look so cool. Thanks for featuring him again. It’s great to see him healthy and fit.
he's such a character, love kirsten for introducing us to ALL these wonderful people
I’ve been there. We stayed in the same tiny house and met Brad He’s got a lot of energy and creativity. The place is amazing.
Simply wonderful! He is my age. Graduated high school the same year. Makes me wonder what I can do with the rest of my life.
start today, with just a little change...
Go out and grab a shovel Lisa 😁
Toss native wildflower seeds in your wild areas
This is the energy I wanna see in the world.
No matter what you do in life, know there will always be haters and people who will trash your dreams as well as your success. They have no standing, but they have a right to an opinion. Let your performance prove your point and them theirs. No worries.
I’ve actually rented one of his Airbnb’s on his property and ended up meeting him bc I saw an earlier video that Kristen put up of him and was amazed at what he was doing. I was blown away by the video and cool stuff he was up to, one day on a road trip my wife, 1yr old daughter at the time, and myself stayed at his Airbnb and ended up chatting with this guy and unfortunately I was super disappointed, he was actually kinda rude with his comments he’d make and actually very arrogant and full of himself. I’ll never forget he was showing us that same hole he dug to make that lake, he said “I dug this in three months!” Then turned around to my wife, daughter, and I and was like “what did you do in three months?”. I was so thrown off lol. My wife and I still till this day use that line when we’re joking with one another.
With all that being said I was still amazed by the cool stuff he was doing, just bummed he wasn’t as cool as I thought he was gonna be in person.
Not surprising really. People with big visions can often be full of themselves.
Highly productive people often don't have the same social filter as the rest of us. He's probably better person than most people but is social skills aren't as developed. I work with people like this, they are great but don't take anything they say personally.
Interesting view. It should be a question everyone asks themselves regularly... what have you done to reach your life goals in the last three months? Seems like a great consideration for anyone, especially people with kids. I am glad you remember the line. Hopefully as you get older, you will understand why it is so important.
@@yingle6027 Thank you, I do indeed have a problem communicating with many people. I can live with that.
Not surprising, really. He seems like he's either got severe dementia and / or meth habit.
A handful more people with a variety of skills like permaculture, animal husbandry and others would really get his community off the charts.
I met him and unfortunately there’s a huge reason it’s just him, his gf, and one other guy staying on his property. He’s not as cool as he seems on his videos. He’s doing amazing things but his personality type isn’t the easiest to get along with. Believe me I thought the same thing you did..
@@matthewcain2880 Thats your opinion based on your personality type..... some people would love this guy and reciprocate the energy.
@@treecanopy please go then and visit and get back to me
@@treecanopy please go and visit him for yourself and get back to me
@@treecanopy go and see for yourself is all I gotta say
Bravo Kirsten, you capture so much with your eyes and editing, sharing the core of the values I hold dear.
I’ve enjoyed checking in with your adventures from time to time through your channel and some other places that have featured you. Great job. I enjoy your energy.
she's a great editor - and interviewer / prompter, too - for sure
@@BradKittelTTH so very fine
I visited this place several years ago when he was starting to dig the cave he mentioned. He is a total trip, full of knowledge but also some "interesting" ideas. The buildings are works of art. His newsletter is wild.
How do I sing up for the newsletter
It's amazing how water can transform a place.
Omg, I think about him often! Thanks for coming back to this guy!
You should go visit him at his Airbnb if you’re ever in Texas. I did, I loved what he was up to but sadly disappointed by his arrogance. Not as of a cool guy as he comes off in his videos.
@@matthewcain2880 Clearly I hurt your ego as you are determined to say the worst you can, perhaps thinking it will bother me or impact someone's opinion of me. I hope it helps you deal with your unhappiness... but I doubt bitching about me will make you feel better about yourself as much as going out and doing something spectacular you can be proud of doing someday instead of hacking on others. Be the example of what you think I should be... that is success.
@@BradKittelTTH I hope maybe as you sit alone in your “community” you will ask yourself with all the amazing things you have done, why haven’t it flourished with people that wish to stay? As building is a skill, so is how to speak to people.
@@matthewcain2880What's up bro ? This is the 3rd comment that I've seen where you keep telling us what an antisocial guy he's supposed to be. I get it, you met him personally and didn't like his personality but if you would've just told us once I would've had more respect for you but you keep it going, like a nagging wife...it ain't making you look good.
YEEEESSSSS...Jack Lalanne's finger pushup - HE NAILED IT!!! 👏👏👏
"No tax on a hole in Texas". No truer words have been spoken.
Let's not give the taxation board ideas.
@@CassieDavis613 they will stop adding taxes when people get quirky
This is a human excelling at being human.
Nah this is more money and time then brains.. Just a big hole and a lot of junk.. not a miracle or amazing at all.
@@abelincoln3261 Well ..what have YOU done in the last 3 months ? 🤣🤣
@abelincoln3261 you can talk down all day long to get to the bottom of things to start working your way back up, and at the end of the day how is your dream better?
@@abelincoln3261 he is happy and healthy and you are here yappin
I've thought of this place many times since your first visit. I can't believe all Brad has achieved in the last 10 year! It's extraordinary and beautiful.
What a beautiful place! Thank you for sharing it with us
Love,love, love the concept. How much fewer landfills there would be if everyone or even half of the people had this same mindset.Fascinating
This gentleman is a bit manic. What a great path to create and enjoy life. Very few get to do that and be so healthy. God bless him…
Probably just excited to have visitors 😅 Then again...
@@tailgatecarpenter26 lol
He gets a lot done!
@@tailgatecarpenter26 hahaha you wouldnt last a day in NZ then. we all talk faster than that normally.
To be honest, he doesn't sound or look healthy at all.
I once took a load of construction scrap to the large dump outside of San Diego. It was like being in another world. There was a constant line of vehicles driving up to the current drop off area. Once I arrived there I could see that there was enough discarded materials and furniture so that every homeless person in the county could build themselves a decent tiny home and furnish it. If only the government would allow building in a certain area where building codes were not enforced, there could be tiny home villages all over the country, at no cost to the government. Interesting to note that there was a sign at the dump saying removing items is not allowed. I wonder why that is. They are not using it. They are just burying it with bulldozers. They charge people to dump stuff. Why would they care if some people remove stuff?
in Maine many of the dumps pull aside or have separate areas for re-usable "waste", everything from building materials to sporting goods. It really should be a national right to pick the waste stream unless there is some downside I am missing aside from the obvious health part which could be mitigated.
@@ehlava Outside Canberra Australia there is a massive tip/dump. Folks used to scavenge there before the practice was stopped in the mid 1980s An older couple I had a chat with one day, told me the previous year, they had made over 80 grand just from scavenging, huge money for the time, not a bad income even now. It was handed over to private enterprise who allowed a charity organisation to start a recycling facility using unemployed folks. It was Called Revolve, eventually became the Green Shed, amazing place. Maybe there is another Aussie out here who has more info. Brad would have loved it. A wonderful character, with an amazing work ethic and a dream of what could be done. Thank you Kirsten. Best wishes to everybody.
I worked at a truck scale at the landfill. We could build unending housing with the treasures we throw away.
There are still areas of Hawaii where if you build unpermitted structures on your land the local county won't mess with you. No idea how long this will last though.
It's a hate crime against the poor.They're getting ready to round everybody up in the cattle cars and give him a free trip to the spas, where they get a free shower.
They only killed the people that couldn't work
Blew my mind when he did the splits. I was like "whooooaaaa...!" 😅
Your 🌈🤣
Silly duck 🦆
@@Thelast953 triggered
@@Thelast953 no he’s more muscular than you. Our bodies are meant to be flexible for all kinds of terrain and challenges.
Love the spirit of this guy.
This place has been carved and shaped..the water is the life blood..for humans and nature..the passion is going to bring another level of gardens and like minded living here..well done..❤
The energy level of his presence is impeccable
When he gets going he starts ascending spoken language and you can feel the manifestation emanating from source through him
I'm exhausted!!!
This guy has a body looking like he dug everyting by muscle and shovel 💪
And every 30s there's an ad on how to get fit. The real answer? DIG & BUILD! 😆
He said he graduated high school in '73. That would make him pushing 70. Wow!
Yeah hes Ripped!
@@AlecMuller he does not look 70 at all. We are meant to be builders clearly
Thank you for sharing ❤. Imagination/creativity/determination and action. Beautiful place and look at his muscles 😮. 🤪
❤
Have followed him since your original post and been inspired to know we can each do this wherever we are. Vital! Thank you, All!
Love this video. That pit pit looks like she’s living her best life! Warms my heart. So happy to see he didn’t cut off her ears. 🫶🏼
wow!! im so glad we got an update and this fella is thriving!! ❤
YOOO IM SO GLAD YOU GOT TO REVISIT HIM! HE DEFINITELY HAS NEEDED IT !
I am so glad that you went back to his place again. He is an original and his place is amazing! I think about his place anytime i think of reclaiming materials. He is really awesome. Thanks for sharing this. 🌷
This is so beautiful ! He has created life from a barren garbage heap and not just for himself but creatures that help him support the land. How working in harmony with nature is a beautiful thing ! This what our Soul needs
This guy said F all that noise-maximum tillage! It's all a balance and almost anything can work if you do enough of it, or the right combinations. This is so cool.
Brad Kittel is an amazing guy. I have the drive to build and have done so but he's taken it to another level.
Side note, I hope he tests the interiors of these homes for lead based paint. Especially with exposing older paint underneath.
@kirstendirksen - This is also a valid concern
Mad as a hatter
Don't put it in your mouth.
The way he dug everything out but specifically dug around the trees to keep them ❤ Now they’re tiny tall islands with a single tree. Awesome
This is wonderful. He is so fit and healthy looking. He did really a great job and totally manifested his dream. I would love to manifest something like that.
L-O-V-E this guy...!!
Shaping the earth in order to create a new space for water and life is the ultimate architecture. His determination and stamina are outstanding and inspiring specially in that cool setting with hills surrounded by water and a lovely dog. As from my personal taste view I would like that a good Japanese architect would design in such a place a meditative garden with minimalist tiny homes. Now it looks like a body with lots of tattoos and for many people that is a very attractive aesthetic. Thanks for sharing and best of luck to this courageous man.
I appreciate the fact that every house has a nice little coffee station. It seems like Brad may enjoy his coffee :)
Oh yes, several cups a day keeps dementia away.
@@BradKittelTTH 🙂🙂🙂
Another unique video with one-of-a-kind people. Thank you! 😎
Reminds me of the man who single handedly planted a jungle on a barren island in i dia. He created the habitat and now endangered animals are finding refuge in it.
This guy sounds like George Carlin when he talks calmly and slower. lol.
Brad is truly a man with a vision. The world needs more mighty men with strong minds, like Brad. Kudos, Kristen. Another amazing adventure. #aintlifegrand
I think this is really cool ...he has done an enormous amount of work and achieved his own little paradise using recycled materials... love to see more of that
What an amazing visionary artist! Bravo to this extraordinary man and his dedication to his dream.
Thanks for the follow up. He's still just as creative and unique as he was in your last video. I think he see's the finish product better than I do.
Man he looks like he could be Ted Dansons brother, love what he’s done with the land😊
LOL, Ted Danson was all I could think about while watching him.
RESPECT mister !!! 👏 greetings from Greece 🇬🇷.
Best thing I've watched and inspired me to keep on this path in a while
Thank you for the update on this wonderful creative man, I have hoped he was still doing this. Happy to see him.
What a unique and inspiring character!
Beautiful! ❤
Is this the Willy Wonka ? Love his style!
This is what freedom looks like and it’s in Texas.
This is the future; a high degree of self sufficiency eco villages for a community
So glad you came back to see Mr Kittel. I have watched the last episode 3 or 4 times by now.
This guy reminds me so much of how my dad did stuff and his things were build all over our property our if salvage material. What an inventive character.🥰
I've been watching Kirsten channel since the last time they were at Brett's property 🏘️ He really knows what he's taking about if you can keep up😅 He is a inspiration 🤠 I LOVE BOTH OF THERE CONTENT 🛖🏘️🛕🏯🏰🏠
this dude looks genuinely happy and having a great time in life. It motivates me to become creative also and find my purpose or whatever makes me happy. Thank you for the inspiration brotha
Excellent work! A+
Love this pick up a shovel ❤
This is every kids dream.
This guy deserves the Nobel Peace Prize. He's turned pollution into paradise!
I'm still skeptical if that water and soil isn't loaded with toxic heavy metals.
@@MaximumEfficiency My thoughts exactly. and there's a toddler. and they were discussing "layers" of paint on the interior woodwork. Do they test for lead in paint in Texas? I had to have a test done on an older home I was looking to purchase in OR. I'm all for repurposing but…
@@makesmefeellikeatalltree8250 yes, that too. Looks like a lot of toxicity there is left unfortunately.
@@danielwahlstromm.d.415 😶😲
@@MaximumEfficiency They have been there for a very long time, you would think they would know by now.. They look completely fine to me!
You can’t stop Geniuses like this…His mind doesn’t stop. What an Awesome Man.
Makes me wish I were younger. What an amazing transformation! Love seeing the beavers at work.
If only more people would get excited and become stewards of Mother Earth. This is an excellent idea; old homes everywhere in the US could be transformed instead of building huge, unaffordable homes, townhomes, or apartments built and owned by private equity firms. Like-minded people can do great things in the world.
Wow..talk about boundless energy! He is definitely living his dream and is very happy too😊. I do hope he’s drinking rain water and not ground water. Would be a hard sell for many people to reside due to known industrial waste on property. My fear would be that he has exposed and disrupted heavy metal contamination and reinvigorated what lay undisturbed for many years. Wish him all the best!! Exciting interview and video nonetheless 😊👍
@kirstendirksen - Please see above comment. The water in some of the shots is a worrisome color.
Look forward to seeing you return to this place in 10 years.
I love this guy, god bless Brad ! Thanks for revisiting. Me thinks he has the energy for many lifetimes. Go Brad !
Kirsten, you are my favorite content provider on TH-cam. Your videos are just tremendous. They cover such a wide array of people and their personal environments. Please keep up the tremendous work.
I agree i love the update. He has done so much and has such an appreciation for the wood he salvages.
I remember the old episode with him.
What a cool guy
Plant papyrus around the shore along with some date palms and build it into an Oasis/fish-farm.
Don't farm fish in contaminated water
@@I.m-Me Sell the fish
@@butziporsche8646 - Note to self: Don't do business with this guy.
It feels like I've been watching this guy since the beginning of my TH-cam journey back in 2010
How cool tiny Texas houses and the first video you did there is how learned about tiny homes .thanks for the sharing of knowledge .
Amazing 👏 ❤ impressive 👏
I fucking love people like this.
Thank you elders…keeping the spirit alive🕊
Another inspiration, thank you for sharing🙏🏼♥️
Amazing
Yeah, I remember this guy from your first video of his accomplishments.
Brad is an awesome creator. Love his amazing results, especially with his land regeneration considerations and repurposing skills.
❤❤❤
"GRAB A SHOVEL! " The best quote ever!
Thank you Kristen!! And, thank you Brad for the inspiration and steerage!!
Very cool. Love his vision.
My kinda guy! At 39 I became widowed with four kids including a 5 month old. We moved to a tiny island went off grid, and had a fantastic 15 year adventure. The place is now a vacation home, we are spread all over this magnificent planet…he is a steward to our home, much love and respect!
What a joy filled soul!!! Great piece!!
Excellent Property...Very inspiring! Building to a individuals own uses is truly the way forward!
Amazing project! Great inspiration. Also love the autodidact way of building and the use of old materials we throw away but actually we don’t realise this quality we never achieved again! Gives me good inspiration to start my own building very soon!
He is healing the earth. How beautiful. Thank you sir. You are a dragon.
A very resourceful guy. It is important to remember, however, that many of those old houses contain paint with lead. Removing it without the proper protective gear can be hazardous to health.
@kirstendirksen
This guy is awesome, has NO stress.
My life is 100% stress and Im very sickly from stress.
Makes you really think.
I used to be like that and I’m where this guy is now, just less manic 😂 it’s worth looking at priorities, success is overrated and survival is easier than people make it out to be when you’re modest in living space and spending
@@victorygarden556 what does your life look like now?
@@matthewcain2880 small family property, small cabin, farming, entrepreneurship, slow life, easy finances because super low overhead cost food cost etc. The hardest part for people with harder lives than myself would probably be the getting property part but if you but bust your ass you can get cheap treed land and make it work by getting a chainsaw and getting busy. Just make sure you can access power lines lol offgrid is too expensive when you have to make your power.
@@victorygarden556 how many acres of land do you own?
@@matthewcain2880 family is moving soon actually, we’re moving to 3 acre and I’m putting the cabin I designed on that as they move into the existing home. I have been doing work in the field for others and labor jobs as I wait, got good experience for about 5 or 6 years, saving for cabin and some furnishings as I go. The real key is keeping access to public electric and having a SMALL living space, and growing/raising as much food as you can time/cost effectively. Once you make a certain salary you are “wasting time” growing food but my salary sucks and opportunities locally are kinda limited.
I remember and love this guy
This is fascinating. Brad Kittel thinks outside of the box like no other. Thank you.
This guy is an American Hero Legend and does more than any politician clearly has for the community. Dreamers like this should be given opportunities to change this concrete corrosive jungle. God bless him
All our stories benefit from a place.
I admire people like this. Someone with a vision and a purpose to create something from nothing, and will stick with it for years and years. I wonder how he sustains himself. Because even though he's doing most of the work himself and a lot of the materials he uses are salvaged, repurposed, etc., there still must be monetary costs
He sells dirt. Dirtiest money he ever made!
He also talked about selling salvaged pipe from his land.
@@Erika-gm2tfI wonder if people know the dirt is likely contaminated.
I fell in love with his creations a long time ago. I always wanted to visit. I wish so much I could find people like this where I live.