It's to be trucked to Wanganui and dried out under cover, which could take some time.
She has a Wanganui builder in mind, and is hoping to start within six months.
She's looking for a site, preferably with a good outlook and a sewerage connection and preferably available permanently.
She hopes the total cost of the building will be less than $80,000, and will look for funding through Kickstarter, a crowdfunding website for creative projects. She'll be able to offer the funders rewards, possibly including time in the house.
Her preliminary plans would turn the hull on its side and extend it 1.5m, with windows and doors on what used to be its deck surface.
The floor area would be 35 square metres, about the size of a large double bedroom with en suite. In that space would be a small kitchen, bathroom and bedroom, and a larger but still petite living area with fold-out bunks.
The house would sit on a curved cradle held up by piles, and the outside of the hull would be covered with either copper sheeting or wooden shingles, with insulation underneath. The inside would be uninsulated, so that the beauty of the wood can be appreciated.
The house would have a wooden deck at the front, which could be winched up to act as shutters, closing the doors off to weather. It would be heated by a small woodburner and off the electricity grid.
It could become an office for Ms McDouall's architectural practice, Drawingroom Architecture & Design, or it could be lived in.
As far as Ms McDouall knows, it will be the only "tiny house" in Wanganui.
The building trend has been for bigger and bigger houses. But she said small houses cost less, use less energy and create less waste.
"Living smaller can generate closeness community-wise as well, so it can increase your quality of life.
"This will be a flagship project, highlighting the option of living smaller as a way to free up finances, occupy otherwise left-over urban sites and mitigate some of the environmental impacts of western-style housing."
