The desert-dwelling Namaqua chameleon has a pretty neat trick – it changes skin color to stay cool when outdoor temperatures rise, and stay warm when they drop. An experimental new coating could one day do the same thing for our homes.
Native to southwestern Africa, the chameleon takes on a light gray color in response to hot ambient temperatures. Doing so helps keep it from overheating, by reflecting the hot infrared wavelength of incoming sunlight. When temperatures drop, however, the reptile's skin takes on a dark brown heat-absorbing color.
https://newatlas.com/science/chameleon-inspired-coating-warm-cool-buildings/
For those who prefer their tiny houses to actually be tiny, Spanish firm Serena.House has introduced a model that takes small living quite literally. Measuring a mere 8 sq m (86 sq ft), the Freeland Tiny House features a clever space-saving interior layout and comes with optional off-the-grid functionality.
https://newatlas.com/tiny-houses/freeland-serena/
Pin-Up Houses, the Czech firm behind the rather colorful DIY US$10,000 tiny house, recently completed a new model that's based on a shipping container and cost $21,000 to build. Named Gaia, it offers full off-the-grid functionality with solar panels, a wind turbine, and rainwater collection system.
https://newatlas.com/tiny-houses/gaia-shipping-container-pin-up-houses/
Adventurer, environmental activist and "Dude Making a Difference" Rob Greenfield is also involved in the tiny house movement but feels that the rise in luxury models is missing the point. In a bid to prove that small living can be done on a modest budget, he recently built a tiny house for under US$1,500 in Florida using mostly recycled materials.
https://newatlas.com/1500-tiny-house-rob-greenfield/58665/
Canada's Studio North recently designed and built this appealing little A-frame shelter that sleeps up to two people. Named Birdhut, it's located in a forested garden in British Columbia, Canada, and features a novel facade that sports a dozen birdhouses designed to house a variety of local birds.
https://newatlas.com/birdhut-studio-north/52183/
With space at a serious premium in many cities, some think that downsizing may be the answer to housing growing populations. Few homes come much smaller than the Tikku (which is Finnish for Stick), by architect Marco Casagrande. It has a footprint of just 2.5 x 5 m (8.2 x 16.4 ft), making it roughly the size of a standard car parking space.
https://newatlas.com/casagrande-laboratory-tikku-micro-house/51728/
Photographer Alla Ponomareva and her husband Garrett wanted a new guest house for their home near Missoula, Montana. Rather than commission a firm to build it for them, the pair rolled-up their sleeves and constructed a solar-powered A-frame cabin for roughly US$700.
http://newatlas.com/a-frame-cabin-alla-ponomareva/51499/
Japanese architect Shigeru Ban has made his name by using cardboard and wood to craft low-cost disaster housing, and he will need to be at his enterprising and creative best as he tackles his next big project. The 2014 Pritzker prize winner has signed on to design thousands of new shelters in a major refugee settlement in Kenya, where he will have to make do with harsh conditions and limited resources.
http://newatlas.com/shigeru-ban-refugee-settlement-kenya/50587/
Japan's Shigeru Ban is a bone-fide starchitect best known for using his considerable talents to design temporary low-cost emergency housing using materials like beer crates and cardboard tubes. Two of his innovative shelters, plus other works, are currently on display in Sydney's Sherman Contemporary Art Foundation (SCAF) art gallery.
http://newatlas.com/shigeru-ban-emergency-shelters-scaf/48740/
Due to house prices in London being what they are, some shrewd firms are looking to turn even the smallest space into a viable home. With this in mind, Studiomama has transformed a tiny former minicab (taxi) office into a full-time home using clever custom furniture and interior design
http://newatlas.com/studiomama-13-sq-metre-house-london/48069/
Homelessness is as big an issue in San Francisco as any other major city, but local firm Panoramic Interests has designed a self-contained stackable tiny apartment that it promotes as a viable solution. MicroPAD modular dwellings comprise a total floorspace of just 160 sq ft (14 sq m), but include a kitchenette, sleeping area, and bathroom.
http://newatlas.com/panoramic-interests-micro-pad-homeless/
Building space is increasingly at a premium in central Beijing and even cramped apartments can fetch a small fortune, but China's People's Architecture Office (PAO) recently completed a new home for a first-time buyer for just US$10,000. Based on the firm's patented prefabricated panel system, Mrs. Fan's Plugin House was assembled by a small team in just a few hours, but has the potential to be constructed by a couple of unskilled people in as little as 24 hours using a single hex key.
http://newatlas.com/peoples-architecture-office-mrs-fans-plugin/46779/
Vancouver's Leckie Studio recently launched the Backcountry Hut Company, to offer modular cabins that come flat-packed and are put together like a piece of furniture from Ikea. Still in the design stage, the cabins will be able to run on or off-the-grid with solar power, and will come in multiple configurations.
http://newatlas.com/backcountry-hut-company/46637/
If interested in owning a tiny house, you could purchase one from a specialist firm, but for handy types happy to roll up their sleeves, PAD (Portland Alternative Dwellings) has collaborated with Shelter Wise to offer plans for its Bunk Box. On the small side, even for a tiny house, this model looks best suited as a weekender, second home, or perhaps a guest home.
http://newatlas.com/shelter-wise-pad-bunk-box-tiny-house-plans/46535/
Tiny house company Escape has followed up its Vista and Vista Go with a new model based on the same basic design. Dubbed Vista Sport, it's the firm's smallest and most affordable towable dwelling to date and blurs the already fine line between small tiny house and camping trailer.
http://newatlas.com/escape-vista-sport/46266/
The Czech Republic's Pin-Up Houses has developed a prototype prefab tiny house that may lack in amenities, but excels in cost and speed of assembly. Named France, it comes in at just US$1,200, and takes a team of three just three hours to build.
http://newatlas.com/france-tiny-house-pin-up-houses/45392/
alented sheddie Kevin Herbert has won this year's Shed of the Year competition with his charming Eco entry, the West Wing. Constructed from 90 percent recycled materials, it's an excellent example of the do-it-yourself spirit behind the shed scene, and was a real labor of love, taking eight years to build from start to finish.
http://newatlas.com/2016-shed-of-the-year-winner/45037/
Estonian firm Kodasema is developing a prefabricated concrete micro-home that can be assembled and installed on-site within just seven hours, then moved to another location with relative ease. Once it's ready for market, the home is expected to fetch roughly .100,000 (around US$111,000), excluding transport costs.
http://www.gizmag.com/koda-concrete-micro-home-prefab/44384/
Living in a cardboard box generally signifies that you've fallen on hard times, but a new cardboard-based tiny house dubbed Nido House makes the idea seem really quite appealing. The off-grid dwelling boasts a solar power system and rainwater recovery system, and will be offered in multiple sizes and designs.
http://www.gizmag.com/nido-house-cardboard-tiny-house/43962/
Netherlands-based tiny house enthusiast Marjolein Jonker's new home is definitely one of the more attractive examples of small living we've recently come across. The off-grid tiny house eschews the popular cute miniature cottage look in favor of a more clean-lined and contemporary design that also looks a little more roomy inside than your typical home on wheels.
http://www.gizmag.com/marjolein-in-miniature-tiny-house/43680/
Tiny houses are usually built pretty quickly compared to a typical brick-and-mortar home, but the Tiny Task project barely left time for the paint to dry. The snug dwelling was constructed by a group of 10 people in just 72 hours in Manhattan, NYC. Once completed, it was sold on eBay for US$26,600, with all the proceeds going to charity.
http://www.gizmag.com/tiny-task-72-hours-charity/43501/
French firm La Tiny House drew inspiration from the vintage Airstream trailer while designing its Tiny Stream tiny house. While the miniature dwelling doesn't closely resemble the Airstream's classic styling to us, the approach definitely paid off, resulting in an attractive home that's a welcome change from the stereotypical shed-on-wheels.
http://www.gizmag.com/la-tiny-house-tiny-stream/43336/
Deciding that standard domestic life and its trappings wasn't for them, Dutch couple Martijn and Irene ditched their careers for seasonal work that left them more time to travel the world. Next, with the wanderlust bug well and truly caught, the pair set upon building an off-grid towable tiny house from scratch over their winter break for just €25,000 (about US$28,270).
http://www.gizmag.com/tiny-house-project-netherlands/43000/
The team over at Shelter Wise has revealed its latest tiny house build, which boasts a feeling of added space and lots of natural light. The "Hikari Box" home features a 184-sq ft (17-sqm) open floorplan, a 79-sq ft (705-sqm) main sleeping loft and an additional 23-sq ft (2-sqm) small loft. The overall design is a culmination of several shed roof designs that Shelter Wise has used in the past, combining the best features of all of them into one single home.
http://www.gizmag.com/hikari-box-shelter-wise/42958/
As any good hippy will tell you, the cannabis plant isn't only good for getting stoned. Hemp has been used for thousands of years for all kinds of stuff, including making rope, clothing, and even cars. With this in mind, Albany, NY-based Green Built has high hopes it can bring cannabis construction into the US mainstream with its hemp-based tiny house.
http://www.gizmag.com/green-built-tiny-house/42684/
Canadian firm Honomobo has launched a new range of shipping container-based homes and living spaces. Able to serve as a standalone tiny house, garage suite, or annex/accessory suite, the containers come in various sizes and can be outfitted with solar power and upgraded insulation.
http://www.gizmag.com/honomobo-container-home-range/42635/
San Antonio, Texas-based firms Development Strategies, Inc and Alamo Architects recently completed the first phase of a shipping container-based housing development in Encinal, TX. The project comprises seven container-based apartments and focuses on energy-efficiency and affordability.
http://www.gizmag.com/shipping-container-apartments-south-texas/42150/
US building supplies firm 84 Lumber has joined the burgeoning small living movement with the launch of a new tiny house range that aims to cater to anyone's skills and budget, from screwdriver-phobes to DIY experts. Its debut model, the Roving, looks a good balance between size, price and amenities, and costs US$19,884 for the Semi-DIY option, which includes a basic shell, doors and trailer.
http://www.gizmag.com/84-lumber-the-roving-tiny-house/42187/
Designer Robin Falck has created his very own micro home that is small enough to be built without a permit in Finland. According to Finnish regulations, you can bypass the permit process if the structure is smaller than 96 or 128 square feet (depending on where you build). With the help of a couple of local architects, Falck was able to make his original designs a reality and the result is this simple and stylish rural retreat.
http://www.gizmag.com/finnish-micro-house/22580/
Canadian company NOMAD Homes has produced a new concept micro-home that measures just 100 sq ft (9.2 sq m), ships as a flat-pack, can operate off-grid, and is said to be easy-to-build. The firm has turned to Indiegogo to raise funds for manufacturing, and eventually intends to sell the base version of the home for under US$25,000.
http://www.gizmag.com/nomad-micro-home/29689
Mini House is a functional prefabricated modular home that comes delivered flat-packed and can be constructed on-site in just two days. The first prototypes, which were designed and built by Swedish architect Jonas Wagell in 2010, are currently being used as summer houses in different parts of Sweden
http://www.gizmag.com/flat-packed-mini-house/23930/
Located in Dutchess County, NY, the LM Guest House is a 2,000 sq ft country retreat that boast a continuous glass facade that was prefabricated off-site and erected in just two days. The compact home also features a series of sustainable measures, including the use of geothermal and solar power, solar shades and recycled rainwater for irrigation. In an email interview, Gizmag spoke to senior architect Katherine Chia from the New York based firm, Desai Chia Architecture, to find out more about the design.
http://www.gizmag.com/interview-lm-guest-house/27266/
Escape has made a name for itself in the tiny house community with its Park Model RV and Traveler tiny homes, which offer an excellent finish and well thought-out features. Its latest model, the Vista, promises the same craftsmanship but at a lower price, and features optional off-grid technology, very generous glazing, and a space-saving layout.
http://www.gizmag.com/escape-vista-tiny-house/41714/
British luxury treehouse builder Blue Forest, the same firm responsible for the Quiet Treehouse and Eco-PERCH, recently unveiled its plan to construct a low-impact vacation home development in the UK. Dubbed Nesting, the project features bird nest-shaped treehouses that include energy-efficient lighting, heating, and insulation.
http://www.gizmag.com/nesting-blue-forest/41390/
Tiny house enthusiasts Robert and Bettina Johnson from Alkali Lake in British Columbia, Canada, have recently completely their own 280 sq ft (26 sqm) home. Combining a surprisingly large and modern interior with a beautiful curved roofline and references to local art and tradition, this is one tiny home that stands apart.
http://www.gizmag.com/esket-tiny-house/41293/
Dutch designer and tiny house enthusiast Daniel Venneman, who previously bought us the DIY Hermit House, has recently completed a new tiny home on wheels. Dubbed Porta Palace, the 18 m2 (194 ft2) home was specifically designed for Venneman's building partner, Jelte Glas. Glas was wanting to create his very own home that not only would he be able to afford, but would also bring him closer to nature.
http://www.gizmag.com/portapalace/40938/
Designer, dressmaker and tiny house expert Kristie Wolfe, who created the inexpensive Hawaiian vacation home we reported on earlier this year, is building her very own "Shire" comprising three off-grid Hobbit Homes. The first dwelling has just been completed, and the plan is to have the entire project finished by mid-2016.
http://www.gizmag.com/kristie-wolfe-off-grid-hobbit-tiny-house/40997/
Located at the base of an ancient hill fort in Somerset, England, the Yurt Retreat is an eco-retreat that includes four luxury glamping yurts and a communal lodge. Its most recent addition is the Bird house, a solar-powered treehouse-style dwelling that was part-built using local and reclaimed materials.
http://www.gizmag.com/bird-house-treehouse-yurt-retreat/40941/
UK-based Echo Living, which we last featured for its Brockloch Bothy Eco Pod, has unveiled a new off-grid eco cabin. Despite being geared up for self-reliance, the Wave Eco Cabin has a slick design, with a curved exterior clad in Western Red Cedar and a stylish interior. Echo Living
http://www.gizmag.com/echo-living-wave-eco-cabin/40700/
If you've ever found the ideal spot for your own remote cabin but thought it too inaccessible to build in, the new VIMOB shelter may be for you. Created by Colectivo Creativo Arquitectos, it is designed for construction in areas that are difficult to access. It's modular, prefabricated and reportedly easy to assemble.
http://www.gizmag.com/colectivo-creativo-arquitectos-vimob-shelter/40652/
Here's a lovely little project from Amsterdam's cc-studio. Named Thoreau's Cabin in honor of American author Henry David Thoreau, the off-grid shelter features a wood-burning stove, large sliding doors that open it up to the outside, and an understated elegance that enables it to complement, rather than dominate, its surroundings.
http://www.gizmag.com/cc-studio-thoreau-cabin-netherlands/40584/
Ecuadorian architects Luis Velasco Roldan and Ángel Hevia Antuña have joined forces to develop a 50 sq m (538 sq ft) green-roofed home called the Nelson Homero ESPE Prototype II. The aim was to create an energy-efficient housing prototype that combines natural materials with traditional building methods, which could be dismantled and moved to different locations for energy efficiency testing in different climates.
http://www.gizmag.com/tiny-green-roofed-house-velasco-antuna/39909
Whether for financial or ethical reasons, or in pursuit of a better way of life, increasing numbers of people are joining the burgeoning small living movement. Join Gizmag as we give a big thumbs up to 10 of the most attractive, innovative, and downright interesting tiny houses we've come across in the past 12 months.
http://www.gizmag.com/top-tiny-homes-2015/40261/
Vietnam's Vo Trong Nghia Architects recently displayed its latest S House prototype at the Chicago Architecture Biennial. Designed for low-income families, the simple home is nearing the mass production stage and is expected to cost less than US$1,000 to construct.
http://www.gizmag.com/s-house-prototype-vo-trong-nghia/40211/
Energy efficiency, prefabricated construction, sustainable architecture and passive design are all trends that we touch on regularly at Gizmag. Rarely, though, have we seen them squeezed together with such high concentration as in Dom Arquitectura's Wood Studio House
http://www.gizmag.com/dom-arquitectura-wood-studio-house/40042/
Interesting architecture doesn't always come with a high price tag. In a similar vein to the S House and Low Cost House, Mexican architect Tatiana Bilbao unveiled an US$8,000 home at this year's Chicago Architecture Biennial. The low-cost house could perhaps one day complement existing social housing options in Mexico.
http://www.gizmag.com/8000-dollar-house-tatiana-bilbao/39919/
London's Bert and May Group recently launched a series of clever prefabricated box homes that take as little as one day to set up. The design firm has created four different versions of its prefabricated Big Box home, ranging from a 46-sq m (495-sq ft), two-bedroom family home, down to a 7.7-sq m (82-sq ft) tiny home. Created in collaboration with local architectural studio Box 9 Design and taking 14 weeks to manufacture, the fully-functional tiny dwellings boast a rustic appeal, eco-friendly materials, structural insulation and a green roof.
http://www.gizmag.com/big-box-prefab-homes/39632/
According to the Dublin Region Homeless Executive (DRHE), there were 607 families in emergency accommodation in Dublin during August this year. One means of reducing this, it says, could be the use of modular housing. It can be built quickly and inexpensively to house homeless families temporarily.
http://www.gizmag.com/modular-houses-for-homeless-dublin/39479/
Good ideas tend to stand the test of time and the yurt is no exception, hence the number of modern options on the market. Aurora, Colorado-based Freedom Yurt-Cabins offers its own updated take on the nomadic dwelling, with improvements including energy-efficient windows, a proper front door, and modern insulation. It's available in a number of sizes, with the smallest 217 sq ft (20 sq m) model starting at just under US$12,000.
http://www.gizmag.com/freedom-yurt-cabins/39022/
Honolulu, Hawaii-based firm Elevate recently unveiled an eponymous prototype structure that could appeal to fans of tiny houses and treehouses alike. Raised between 8 - 12 ft (2.4 - 3.6 m) on a wooden pedestal, the greenery-covered dwelling features a partially shaded space to park a car underneath, and boasts solar panels and a rainwater collection system.
http://www.gizmag.com/elevate-tiny-house-kickstarter/38911/
A new home in Seattle is described as having a cutting-edge combination of green technology, renewables and reclaimed materials. It is designed by Dwell Development to be Built Green Emerald Star certified. If the certification is awarded, it will be be the first home of its kind in the city.
http://www.gizmag.com/dwell-development-emerald-star-home-seattle/38952/
Created to ease the plight of displaced refugees, Re:Build is a basic scaffold-based construction system that can be used to build a home, school, clinic, or whatever else is required. It makes use of readily-available onsite materials like sand, gravel, and earth, and enables the refugees themselves to construct the structures.
http://www.gizmag.com/rebuild-shelter/38724/
Using old shipping containers is seen as an environmentally friendly means of constructing new homes. Taking this one step further, Sustainer Homes has begun making off-grid container dwellings that incorporate self-managed water, sewerage, electricity and gas.
The containers (or "sustainers") are designed primarily as homes, but could also be used for hotels, holiday housing or even emergency shelters. There are several sizes and designs available, with a 1 to 2 person 30-sq m (323 sq ft) version available for €75,000 (US$82,500). Larger, family-sized containers, offices and holiday models for different climates are in development.
http://www.gizmag.com/sustainer-homes-off-grid-shipping-container-homes/38590/
A Welsh university claims to have built the UK.s first low-cost, low-carbon, energy-positive house. The Solcer House was built by Cardiff University's Solcer Project, part of the LCRI Program (Low Carbon Research Institute). It was designed as a prototype with off-the-shelf technologies to show how low-carbon targets could be met.
http://www.gizmag.com/solcer-house-smart-energy-positive-low-carbon/38511/
A team from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) has designed a shelter that it says can tackle LA's housing crisis in an environmentally-friendly manner. The Backyard BI(h)OME is affordable, low impact and recyclable. What's more, it can be easily constructed in people's back gardens
http://www.gizmag.com/backyard-bihome-shelter/38464/
An Austrian company is building trailer homes that are designed not only to be compact, but with self-sufficiency in mind, too. Wohnwagon's trailers provide 25 sq m (269 sq ft) of living space and have their own off-grid electricity, water and waste systems. They can also be used as offices, guest rooms or cafes.
http://www.gizmag.com/wohnwagon-off-grid-trailer-home/38398/
For many of us, making something during an extracurricular high school activity probably involved bringing home a papier-mâché head or wonky flower pot to proud parents, but Berkeley, CA high school students constructed a solar-powered tiny house. The unnamed dwelling measures just 9.2 sq m (100 sq ft) and includes a small sleeping and storage area.
http://www.gizmag.com/berkeley-students-tiny-home-studio-h/37871/
Stockholm-based Tham & Videgård (of wooden high-rise fame) took an unusual approach while aiming to design a house that could be all things to all people. The firm analyzed data created by roughly 2 million Swedes—or 20 percent of the country's population—to design what's billed as a new type of democratic architecture.
http://www.gizmag.com/tham-videgard-house-of-clicks/37582/
From supersized tiny homes to a cabin disguised as a rock, we've covered some unusual abodes here at Gizmag. The recently-completed Steampunk Adventure Home, by Ogden, Utah-based Maximus Extreme Living Solutions, is just as left-of-field, and the tough towable home highlights the impressive variety of the small living movement with its Steampunk-inspired detailing.
http://www.gizmag.com/steampunk-tiny-house-maximus-extreme/37321/
Vancouver's housing market is relatively expensive, and this naturally prevents a lot of people from being able to afford to own their own homes. Following some sub-par rental experiences, Vancouver resident Isabella Mori contacted local firm Camera Buildings to construct her a 18.5 sq m (189 sq ft) tiny home that she could afford to own outright.
http://www.gizmag.com/thousand-crow-tiny-house-isabella-legosi-camera-buildings/36962/
A project by Seattle-based charity Sawhorse Revolution is both educating young people and creating accommodation for the homeless. The Impossible City is a community of housing built by local teens as they learn new skills. The accommodation is designed to be affordable, sustainable and movable.
http://www.gizmag.com/impossible-city-seattle-homeless-shelters/37049/
"Working at heights is risky," affirms Geoff de Ruiter when quizzed by Gizmag on the challenges he faced while building a tiny treehouse perched 5.1 m (17 ft) off the ground in British Columbia. Happily though, the University of Northern British Columbia PhD student recently completed the Raven Loft treehouse without incident for just US$8,200, plus land costs, leaving him with a mortgage- and debt-free tiny retreat.
http://www.gizmag.com/raven-loft-geoff-de-ruiter/36870/
Designer and dressmaker Kristie Wolfe is the handy type, and a few years ago she dove headfirst into the small living movement, constructing herself a 9 sq m (97 sq ft) home in Boise, Idaho. This proved so successful that she decided to build another, this time an off-grid vacation home in Kona, Hawaii. The recently-completed treehouse cost around US$11,000 and took three months to build. Including travel costs, the purchase of land, and all additional expenses, the whole project came in at just $23,000.
http://www.gizmag.com/kristie-wolfe-paradise-shoestring-budget/36849/
Back in 2013, Gizmag covered the launch of the C6 sustainable prefab homes from LivingHomes. The residences were designed to be low-cost and to be LEED Platinum certified. Since then, the company has installed one in LA, recently broke ground for another in San Diego and has yet another ready for installation.
http://www.gizmag.com/livinghomes-c6-sustainable-prefab-homes/36759/
The tiny living community is filled with enthusiasts who think outside the box in a bid to turn what's essentially a shed into a viable home at minimal cost. Pacific Northwest resident Scott Brooks offers a great example of what can be achieved with a shoestring budget under the right circumstances, with the recently-completed Transforming Tiny Home, which was built for an estimated cost of under US$500.
http://www.gizmag.com/transforming-tiny-home-under-500/36188/
Canadian architectural studio MU has proposed the construction of approximately 50 triangular luxury huts as part of the Bigwin Island development in Lake of Bays, Ontario, Canada. The "Giants of Bigwin" project features a collection of private retreats dedicated to guests of the esteemed Bigwin Golf Club. Measuring between 1,200 and 1,500 square feet (111 and 140 sqm), the huts are designed to eventually blend into their leafy surrounds.
http://www.gizmag.com/giants-of-bigwin-mu-architecture/36096/
Iowa-based Central College environmental studies majors Amy Andrews and Ethan Van Kooten decided to build a tiny house for their senior project. Thanks to a hand-me-down storehouse, combined with the pair's knack for salvaging furniture from scrap, they were able to do so at a cost of just US$489.
http://www.gizmag.com/van-kooten-andrews-tiny-home/36016/
The Observatory is the work of four architecture graduates from London-based firm Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios . Charlotte Knight, Mina Gospavic, Ross Galtress, Lauren Shevills, and Edward Crumpton . and was commissioned by SPUD Studio, the firm responsible for the Exbury Egg. It comprises two structures: The Workshop and The Study. The Workshop provides a space for members of the public to come and view the art created, while The Study is a tiny shelter in which the artist will live and work for up to two months at a time.
http://www.gizmag.com/observatory-tiny-shelter-artist-studio/35951/
Austrian Gerhard Feldbacher recently unveiled an interesting small home that aims to strike a happy balance between ease of transport and size. Named Simple Home, the small dwelling sports four integrated legs that enable it to be easily transported by truck and left in its intended location without the need of a crane, hoist, or other machinery.
The model featured in this article measures roughly 7.5 m (24 ft) long, 2.6 m (8.5 ft) wide, and 4 m (13 ft) high. Though it somewhat resembles the shipping container homes we've covered, it's actually built from wood, and features 10 cm (4 in) thick wooden walls and roof, and a larch ventilated facade. Insulation comes in the form of wood fiber insulation (sheep's wool is optional too), and the whole thing weighs in at a rather heavy 10,000 kg (11 US tons).
http://www.gizmag.com/simple-home-gerhard-feldbacher/35851/
Canadian architectural studio Urban Capital, in collaboration with Italian designer Luca Nichetto, has recently presented its "plug & play" concept cube which could transform any space into a fully functioning apartment. Dubbed Cubitat, the multi-purpose cube measures 10 x 10 x 10 ft (3 x 3 x 3 m) and comes equipped with a kitchen, bedroom, entertaining area, bathroom, laundry and storage space. The space-saving design is conceptualized to easily and quickly furnish a small building into a compact home without the need for further renovations or additions.
http://www.gizmag.com/cubitat-urban-capital/35763/
We've seen the Passive House sustainability marque awarded to plenty of big flashy home builds. A project in Australia, however, has shown that a certified Passive House needn't be either of those things. Castlemaine Passivhaus is covers just 39 sq m (419 sq ft) and took only 10 days to build.
http://www.gizmag.com/castlemaine-passivhaus/35687
Back in 2012, we reported on Version.2 by Canadian small living firm Leaf House, which is headed by Laird Herbert. Now Herbert is back with a new and improved tiny home that he intends to use as a case study for small living in cold climates. Version.3 is designed to take temperatures of -50 °C (-58 °F) in its stride, and also packs a number of other benefits over its predecessor, including increased interior space and decreased weight.
http://www.gizmag.com/version3-leaf-house-laird-herbert/35558/
With prime building space dwindling in many areas, canny developers realize that apparently undesirable plots can be perfectly profitable with the right architect. L3P Architekten recently produced a good argument for building on such sites, with the House Vineyard Dieseldorf: an unusual glass-fronted concrete home located in a cramped plot in Dielsdorf, Switzerland.
House Vineyard Dieseldorf features a mostly glass facade that, while not quite as open to onlookers as the S House, for example, is still not suited to occupants wanting complete privacy. That said, the installation of a bath directly next to a large glass window suggests that privacy wasn't a key concern on this build ...
The physical footprint of the plot available was just 5 x 9 m (16 x 30 ft), which isn't quite tiny-house small, but does present a challenge. To ensure all available space was utilized, a standard front door entrance was shunned in favor of subterranean access via the carport.
http://www.gizmag.com/house-vineyard-dieseldorf-l3p-architects/35376/
The two-story home is designed by Dutch architects MoodBuilders and is built primarily from wood, measuring 9.2 x 3.5 m (30 x 11.5 ft) and rising to a height of 5.9 m (19.3 ft). The partly open-plan ground floor includes a kitchen, bathroom, and lounge area. A bedroom and small desk area is located in the mezzanine upstairs, and the home also features a small outdoor patio area.
The Heijmans ONE is transported by truck, and on-site installation takes just a day. Though the home's roof-based solar array currently serves only to offset some of the costs of its grid-connected electricity needs, a Heijmans rep informed Gizmag that it's working on making the homes completely self-sufficient, energy-wise.
http://www.gizmag.com/heijmans-one-easily-transported-home/35373/
The CHIP House - which stands for "Compact Hyper-Insulated Prototype" - was started with the goal of creating a net-zero energy home (i.e. one that requires no external energy source), and it looks like the designers exceeded that target. The house actually generates three times as much energy as it uses thanks to solar panels and a host of energy saving measures. The incredibly energy efficient design would make the house stand out on its own, but the integrated Kinect controls and smart features push the CHIP House above your typical green-conscious home and into "home of the future" material.
http://www.gizmag.com/chip-house-solar-energy-xbox-kinect/21254/
Simon Dale, with the help of his father in-law, has single-handedly built this low impact Hobbit house in the woodlands of West Wales. The eco-house, which rose from a muddy hole in the ground and took three months to complete, came in at under US$5,000 (GBP3,000)—demonstrating that you don't need to be architectural school graduate to come up with the goods. There's no need to be envious, however, because Dale will give you the plans and know-how to build your very own.
http://www.gizmag.com/low-impact-hobbit-home/20058/
Lots of us make sacrifices for the environment, but few of us would consider supporting the cause by moving into a dumpster. Dr. Jeff Wilson of Huston-Tillotson University, however, is doing just that. Working with his students and the community, he's transforming an old dumpster and living in it for a year.
http://www.gizmag.com/dumpster-project/34288/
The American Institute of Architects has revealed its 2014 selection of top ten green buildings in the US. The list includes some lesser-publicized green-building projects, such as a homeless shelter, a treehouse, and even a Net-Zero energy courthouse.
http://www.gizmag.com/aia-top-10-sustainable-us-buildings-2014/31746/
A team of students and professors recently unveiled a prototype of what they cite as the future of urban living. The micro-housing unit is set on wheels and can fit into a standard-sized parking space.
http://www.gizmag.com/scadpad-micro-housing-tiny-house/31648/
The cost of a house can be counted in dollars, but the construction and running of a house takes a toll on the environment that's harder to measure. Increasing numbers of people are looking to minimize both environmental impact and financial outlay by outfitting their homes with sustainable technology, and the resulting boom in sustainable building is driving new levels of architectural innovation. With this in mind, Gizmag highlights ten remarkable sustainable houses.
http://www.gizmag.com/gizmag-top-10-sustainable-innovative-green-houses/34712/
Following our recent coverage on Vo Trong Nghia Architects' US$4,000 S House, the Vietnamese firm offers yet another impressive sustainable project that suits the particular local climate and needs. Located in the country.s Dong Nai Province, the Farming Kindergarten sports a huge green roof, a water-recycling and irrigation system, and is cooled passively.
http://www.gizmag.com/green-roofed-kindergarten-vietnam/34788/
Constraints often fuel creativity, so it is perhaps unsurprising that despite inherent limitations in size and budget, the small living movement punches far above its weight in terms of innovation. With the end of 2014 fast approaching, Gizmag takes a look back at 14 of the best tiny homes that we.ve reported on this year.
http://www.gizmag.com/gizmag-top-tiny-homes-2014/34401/
Living in a tiny house can be as much about lifestyle as it is the size of dwelling. Tiny house living naturally requires an efficient use of space, but that efficiency can also encompass other parts of life. Jay Austin's Matchbox embodies just that efficient, low-impact lifestyle.
http://www.gizmag.com/boneyard-studios-matchbox-tiny-house/34763/
A team of students and professors recently unveiled a prototype of what they cite as the future of urban living. The micro-housing unit is set on wheels and can fit into a standard-sized parking space.
http://www.gizmag.com/scadpad-micro-housing-tiny-house/31648/
House Arc, by Bellomo Architects, is a prefabricated off-the-grid housing solution that facilitates compact living. The project was originally designed as an environmentally sensitive and affordable method of housing that is not only functional but also attractive to the eye. Furthermore, it is designed to be easily packed and shipped to any location, where it can then be erected by the user or community. "We designed it to be a kit of parts that can be assembled quickly-like an IKEA house," says House Arc architect Joseph Bellomo.
http://www.gizmag.com/house-arc-modular-home/21486/
Here's an example of small living that's a little different from the norm. What appears on first glance to be a large boulder is actually a tiny cabin that contains all the basics you'd need for a short stay in the mountains. The cabin is the work of Swiss architecture firm Bureau A, and was recently installed in a sculpture park in the Swiss Alps.
http://www.gizmag.com/antoine-bureau-a-rock-cabin/35268/
The virtues of a simple, low-cost and sustainable lifestyle have driven the growth of the tiny house movement. Jonas Wagell's Mini Houses embody these values. Having initially been designed as a weekend cabin or guest house, the Mini House is now in its second iteration.
http://www.gizmag.com/mini-house-2/35054/
A team of designers and architects based in South Africa has produced this charming prefabricated tiny home designed especially for the climate and conditions of their country. The versatile POD-Indawo can operate on or off-grid, and sports a decent-sized porch and an upstairs sleeping area.
With a footprint of 17 sq m (182 sq ft), the POD-Indawo is constructed from steel, aluminum, glass, and wood, and has a large glass facade and several windows for ventilation. The units are built in Johannesburg, South Africa, and can ship either as a basic shell or be outfitted with kitchen appliances, folding furniture, and storage solutions to suit. With a footprint of 17 sq m (182 sq ft), the POD-Indawo is constructed from steel, aluminum, glass, and wood, and has a large glass facade and several windows for ventilation. The units are built in Johannesburg, South Africa, and can ship either as a basic shell or be outfitted with kitchen appliances, folding furniture, and storage solutions to suit.
http://www.gizmag.com/lifepod-indawo-tiny-house/34854/
Taking its name from the honeycomb structures built by bees, Hivehaus is a modular housing system constructed from individual hexagonal cells that can be customized and connected, offering plenty of design flexibility.
http://www.gizmag.com/hivehaus--flatpacked-home/30015/
Back in September, we reported on Vo Trong Nghia Architects' ongoing effort to produce a suitable home for Vietnam's poor. The latest iteration of the firm's low-cost S House sees the prototype home refined, and the prefabricated dwelling now sports a more stable structure, and an impressive on-site build time of just three hours.
Completed in November and installed in Ho Chi Minh City, the S House 3 has just one large interior space inside that measures 31.6 sq m (340 sq ft). Whereas the previous S House was built from a pre-cast concrete frame bolted together with steel fixings, this newest version comprises a lightweight steel framework, cement board cladding, and a reinforced concrete foundation.
http://www.gizmag.com/vo-trong-nghias-s-house-prototype-assembled-3-hours/35343/
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