Vice President Andrew Pleban Interviews Jay Shafer
Vice President Andrew Pleban interviews Jay Shafer regarding the potential of developing new global ASTM standards for tiny houses and how Jay got involved in the tiny house industry. Andrew Pleban is the founder of American Tiny House and started building tiny houses after being inspired by Jay’s designs.
Positive Vote 52 to 7
On November 8th, 2021, we had a very successful organizational meeting with ASTM and tiny house stakeholders to approve our proposal and the formation of a committee, specific for tiny houses. The vote was 52 to 7, in favor. This was almost a year-long effort and worth the long journey. At this time we are waiting for COTCO, the governing board of ASTM that grants new committees to approve a new committee specific to develop and maintain standards for tiny houses.
The Future Of The Tiny House Industry Is In Our Own Hands
Have you ever looked around at something in society and kicked yourself, because you let others make the rules, or you did not vote, or you did not want to make waves so you let others take the lead? We are in a unique position to take charge of our own destiny and weave the future for our own industry and if we do not do this, it will be done for us as it already is. We have the ear and the interest of ASTM International, one of the largest ANSI Accredited Standards Developers in the world. With 120 years of expertise, ASTM provides a platform for stakeholders to develop global voluntary consensus standards in the form of documents. See update for more information on how the tiny house standards could become mandated.
ASTM provides a platform that is open, everyone that has a vested interest in the industry is invited and every voice is important. The consumer or the DIYer is just as important as the million-dollar company.
Why ASTM International?
Through The Guidance Of ASTM, Our Committee Must Follow The ANSI Essential Requirements for Due Process That Include Openness, Lack Of Dominance, Balance, Coordination, Harmonization, Considerations And Views, Consensus Vote, Appeals, Compliance, And Written Procedures
1) Tiny Houses Will Be Granted A New ASTM Committee To Develop And Maintain The Standards For Our Own Industry
2) The Committee Will Go On Indefinitely
3) We Elect Our Own Officers
4) We Write Our Own Bylaws
5) We Select The Subcommittees Which Divide The Standards Development
6) We Elect The Officers For The Subcommittees
7) We Select The Task Groups- They Are The Ones That Have The Expertise To Write The Standards
8) We Select The Standards That Need To Be Developed
9) One Subcommittee Does Not Hold Up Another Committee For Publication Of A Standard
10) An ASTM Standard Can Be Adopted By An Authority Having Jurisdiction Immediately After Publication -No Waiting For An I-Code Cycle Change Or For A State To Adopt A Certain Year Of The IRC building Code.
11) ASTM Standards Can Be Amended Immediately After Publication
12) 150 Countries Can Participate
13) Through The Guidance Of ASTM, Our Committee Must Follow The ANSI Essential Requirements for Due Process That Include Openness, Lack Of Dominance, Balance, Coordination, Harmonization, Considerations And Views, Consensus Vote, Appeals, Compliance, And Written Procedures
14) There Are No Costs That We Incur To Develop The Standards For Publication. Except To Join As A Member Of ASTM At A Cost Of $75.00 A Year.
15) Together We Will Create Conformity, Without Borders, Uniting For Our Common Goals, Developing A Common Language That Will Integrate The Authority Having Jurisdiction, The Consumer. And The Manufacturers And Builders, Addressing All Life, Health, Fire, And Road Safety, And To Forge The Path That Tiny Houses Are A Viable Housing Solution That Is The Answer To Affordable And Attainable Housing
16) All Our Welcome! No One Can Be Left Out
17) Through The ASTM Process, Standards Will Be Cleansed Of Personal Interests, No One Individual, Company, Organization, Country, Sector Of An Industry, Or Trade Association Can Be The ” Loudest Voice” In The Room Or Dominant The Standards Development. Everyone Matters And Has A Voice And A Vote
18) We Will Change The Face Of Affordable Housing And Will Broaden Homeownership Globally
Tiny House Proposal
Latest Update On Our Potential Commmittee
This proposal was developed by the stakeholders that have been participating so far to be presented to the governing board of ASTM International that grants new technical committees. COTCO, ( Committees On Technical Committees Operations).
This is the latest update of where we are in negotiations with ASTM International, what ASTM is about, what are standards, etc……
Join Us! All Are Welcome!
