I turned a dumpster into a 25-square-foot tiny home in London for $4,800. My toilet is outside, but I love living here.

Last year, I moved back to London after some time overseas doing construction work for an architecture studio I helped cofound. I returned to find myself among thousands of other people hunting for a room in the UK capital.

I'd searched for a new place to live many times before, but this time it was different. Rent had gone through the roof, and there was still hardly anything available. I was either going to have to accept a small damp room in the outskirts of the city or think outside the box. 

In the months that followed, I designed and built myself a tiny home within a dumpster. The aim was not only to create a place for myself to live but also to make a statement about how absurd the housing crisis had become.

The construction took me four weeks and cost $4,800. But by turning my living situation into an art installation, I was able to gain sponsorship for the plot of land from an arts organization.

It's now been three months since I moved in, and the place is starting to feel like home.

The dumpsters we have in the UK are called skips, and they're shaped a bit like a bucket. This meant that the entrance was always going to be slightly awkward and raised off the ground.

To combat this, I have a small ladder I use to climb inside. 

It definitely takes some getting used to, but having the door in its current position allows me to have internal steps, which act as seating for guests.

Even though the floor area is only 25 square feet, the bucket shape of the dumpster allowed me to build storage into the angled walls.

These shelves house my kitchen area, food, clothing, tools, and more, leaving the central floor area uninterrupted.

I'm a relatively tall person at 6-foot-2, and I wanted to make sure I'd have enough space to stand up straight. I also wanted a bed where I could stretch out.

I managed to fit a double mattress perfectly into the space without compromising elsewhere. The curved roof makes for a cozy sleeping area, and the small window brings in light and natural ventilation.

Living in a dumpster has its drawbacks — the most obvious being the toilet and shower situation.

Integrating a working plumbing system into a movable house was always going to be difficult, especially when you consider the size of the space. It would be extremely difficult to combat condensation and smells.

Therefore, I opted to have an outdoor portable toilet, and I shower at work or the gym. I do, however, have access to water for drinking, cooking, cleaning, and an emergency sink wash.

One of the benefits of building my own tiny house was the ability to make it exactly how I wanted, which felt great after so many years in rented apartments where I wasn't even allowed to hang something on the wall.

My artwork includes a drawing done by my dad for my 3rd birthday and a poem written by my mom about the Skip House. 

Ultimately, living in the Skip House has its inconveniences. But overall, I've found it to be a positive experience that's allowed me to live a more minimal and considered lifestyle.

It's also given me the rare opportunity to live alone in a city where having your own space is a luxury.

I'm not sure when I'll be moving out of the Skip House, but I certainly won't be swapping it for a small damp room anytime soon.