The recent housing and economic crises has many people rethinking what they really need—not least those who are just starting out on their journey into adulthood and independence. Austin Hay, a high school student from Sonoma, has an alternative plan. He's been building a tiny 130-square foot home that he plans to take with him to college, and wherever he moves onto from there.

From a tiny, off-grid home built for $2,500 to an in-depth conversation about life in a tiny house, this is a topic that is near and dear to TreeHugger's heart. But it is especially good to see members of a younger generation, one that is graduating into an economic and ecological mess that is not of their making, considering alternative paths that could well lead them to a more stable, resilient and sustainable future. (It's also good to see he's financed much of the project himself through his work at a summer camp!)

For more great videos, check out Fair Companies—the same people who brought us video of a medieval ghost town turned ecovillage in Spain.