The house was designed to act like a tree that captures energy with its solar “leaves” and sends it down to its roots, where is stored, shared, or returned to the house to produce the fruit of electricity. The house contains a “domestic metabolism” that provides a detailed real-time monitoring of its behavior and its interaction with the environment, creating historical profiles and sharing them socially.

The design of the Fab Lab house has been compared to both a boat and a peanut and has been called a “cinnamon submarine,” “forest zeppelin” and a “whale belly”. The house has also introduced significant technological innovations such as the world’s most efficient flexible solar panels, made with both Spanish and American technology. The project involved architects and experts from 20 countries as well as experts from MIT.

The house has been put up for sale for €45,000 plus VAT ($64,000). Fab Labs is offering the house for sale in several different styles including the Cottage which is 12 square meters (129 square feet), the Shelter which is 24 square meters (258 square feet), the House which is 60 square meters (646 square feet) and the Villa which is 96 square meters (1,033 square feet).

The interior is composed of an integrated social space with a bedroom, kitchen, a small Fab Lab, a bathroom and a small elevated room for guests.

Photos courtesy of Fab Lab

By Christina Nellemann for the [Tiny House Blog]

Becky has lived in yurts for many years in the mountains of the American Northwest. Her book was completed a few years ago while living in her own portable fabric yurt on a permaculture homestead in Idaho. She has also created an educational website called Yurt Info, a newsletter and a Facebook page for other yurt owners and fans of the wood and fabric buildings. The Yurt Info site offers information on how to buy or build a yurt, and includes a forum and links to numerous yurt videos and photo albums.

Photos courtesy of Yurt Info.

By Christina Nellemann for the [Tiny House Blog]

Their Pacific Dome is attached to a temporary insulated foundation and the entire structure took about four days to erect. Currently the dome does not have insulation, but they plan to order a special cover to be used in the winter. A solar fan is attached to the outside to provide air circulation during the summer. So far the structure has been very sturdy…even in our area’s notorious winds and heavy snows. Unfortunately, a few neighbors reported the dome to the local building department and the department now wants a set of structural calculations about the dome which will be supplied by the engineer at Pacific Domes.

Pacific Domes, located in Ashland, Oregon has been designing and building domes since 1980. They use the sacred geometry of R. Buckminster Fuller to create spacious, yet structurally sound domes of all sizes. Pacific Domes have been used for special events, weddings, meditation, yoga and healing spaces, schools, emergency shelters, eco-living, camping, and a large dome without the cover is even used for the infamous “Thunderdome” at Burning Man. Pacific Domes have also been used in Haiti and after Hurricane Katrina for temporary shelters and hospitals.

Many Pacific Dome customers purchase their domes to live in. The company offers different cover materials to allow for use in any climate. They have insulation packages available that, in conjunction with a wood stove or other heating system, make the dome a comfortable space in cold weather. They also recommend radiant heat in the dome floor. Larger domes can accommodate lofts, walls, and other partitions to create separate rooms. All interior construction should be free standing and self supported.

YouTube Video: Erecting a Pacific Dome

YouTube Video: Very elegant and liveable dome at Pacific Domes

The dome frames are made from galvanized steel. The steel, in conjunction with the geodesic design, creates an amazingly strong structure using a minimal amount of material. Geodesic domes are world-renowned for their strength and integrity. Depending on your situation and needs, they offer “heavy duty” 1.31”, through “extreme” 1.9”, frames in addition to the “standard” .92” frame. The dome covers are made of SunLite fabric or Tropical fabric. Insulation can be a liner with Reflectix or a thermoshield painted on the inside of the dome.

Three floor plans are offered and several foundation options. The roof, door, round windows and portions of the sidewalls can be replaced with screens for ventilation if needed. A solar fan is recommended to aid in ventilation, especially in damp areas.

Photos Courtesy of Christina Nellemann and Pacific Domes

By Christina Nellemann for the [Tiny House Blog]

The university’s student housing department said the Domes are not up to code, are not Americans With Disabilities Act-compliant, and not worth spending money on to salvage. Supporters of the Domes claim the university administration has neglected these issues for decades and is trying to make a land grab, motivated by budget cuts and pressure to squeeze every last dollar out of campus real estate.

Sacramento News & Review Article on Baggins End

Sacramento Public Radio Story on Baggins End

The Domes have been on the campus since 1972 and are constructed of three to four inches of polyurethane foam surrounded by a fiberglass shell. A few of the Domes are beginning to delaminate. Baggins End (named after the home of Bilbo and Frodo Baggins from The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings trilogy) is comprised of 14 domes housing 28 students where they emphasize cooperation and sustainability. The students grow a lot of their own food and raise chickens and a rooster named Chamomile. The Domes are around 450 square feet and contain a kitchen, living room, two bedrooms or a sleeping loft, heating and skylights. The students are allowed to perform their own construction projects and have access to the community’s free materials yard, fire pit,  garden and tool shed, compost pile, greenhouse and the weekly potluck dinners. Each resident pays $2,712 for a year long lease.

A company that inspected the Domes estimated that it would take more than $600,000 – or $43,000 per dome – to resolve problems with the structures’ delamination. Chris Adamson, a state-certified access specialist in UC Davis’ Design and Construction Management unit, estimated that it would cost an additional $300,000 to make the ADA improvements.

As a self-supporting unit, the Davis student housing department does not receive state or campus funding, and each housing area must operate as a self-supporting unit. A plan is in place to rebuild the Domes, but that could take up to five years. In the meantime, student residents are looking for alternative solutions to keep their inexpensive housing in a creative and supportive community.

Photos Courtesy of the Domes at Baggins End

By Christina Nellemann for the [Tiny House Blog]

The house was built in 1997 by Tony and featured solar power, a wind turbine, composting toilet and reed beds for gray water. Tony based this house on American Indian designs he had seen in history books. In the past, he had had experience building “wacky structures” and wanted to live as close to the land as possible. Even though he built it inside Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, with agreement from the owners of the land, he never got permission for the structure from the local planning board. After several court appearances, he and his partner, Jane, decided to demolish it in 2004, but changed their minds after public demonstrations persuaded them not to. The Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority attempted to get a court injunction to force Tony to demolish it, but were persuaded to allow it to stay up until July 2006, when they could re-apply under the new Low Impact Policy. In 2008, the committee voted to give Tony a conditional for three years. So – the roundhouse still stands.

The house cost £3,000 (about $4,700) to build and is located on the edge of a wider sustainable eco-village. It’s about 6.5 meters (21 feet) wide. Tony and Jane try to get 70% of what they need from the land. They grow their own food, make wine from local berries, use a composting toilet, collect downed wood to make woodcrafts which they sell, and their water is piped from a mountain source and heated by a woodstove. Electricity comes from three photovoltaic panels on the roof and a small (200w) wind turbine situated about 70 yards away in a field. For cooking they use an old gas caravan cooker, the woodstove and a dutch oven. Guests sleep in another roundhouse called “the Den” nearby. They live on several hundred pounds a month and have no bills.

Wrench has a book for sale called “Building a Low Impact Roundhouse” on Amazon.

“We are not going to survive in these numbers for the next few hundred years – people will have to live a lot simpler.” -Tony Wrench

By Christina Nellemann for the [Tiny House Blog]

About 20 feet in diameter, Indianapolis Island is a tiny house made of fiberglass and foam that examines the daily needs of contemporary human beings. For the next four summers, the island will be occupied by one or two commissioned residents who are local art students. They will collaborate with Zittel by adapting and modifying the island’s structure according to their individual needs.

On their blog, Dunn and Runge discuss the details of living in an inhabitable art space. They have access to the museum’s Visitor’s Pavillion where there are restrooms, and they also have an emergency sawdust bucket for late-night bathroom needs. They are able to stay cool because of the good insulation of the island and the white color that reflects away the sun. The door and window provide air flow from the cool lake water. They cook with a solar oven, a small grill and use a cooler for their food.

Dunn and Runge will get a lesson in sustainable living during their stay from mid-June to mid-August on the island. Their plans are to grow their own food in floating pots, make their own furnishings, generate electricity with a bicycle and receive messages from others via floating capsules. The tiny floating island will also allow visitors. When the students raise a green flag on the island, guests may ring a bell on the shore to signal their desire for a tour. Visitors will then be picked up in a row boat and given a tour highlighting the efficient living space. When the island’s inhabitants are not giving tours they will create a message-writing centers for visitors to author their own anonymous messages, which they will release in floating containers which look like little floating islands of their own. The messages will then be posted on Dunn and Runge’s blog.

Photos courtesy of Jessica Dunn and Michael Runge

By Christina Nellemann for the [Tiny House Blog]

The cluster of whiskey barrel dwellings overlook organic vegetable gardens, dancing wind turbines and the sandy dunes of the North Sea’s Moray Firth. More than 40 houses of ecological design can be found at the Findhorn eco-village including a guest lodge and youth building with turf roofs, straw bale houses and earthships using recycled car tires. Near the entrance to the village is an old tin caravan bearing the Gaelic name Tír Tairngire (in English, “the promised land”).

Photo courtesy of Gemma Grace/Flickr

What is now The Findhorn Foundation and Community began in 1962, when co-founders Eileen and Peter Caddy and their friend Dorothy Maclean set up home at Findhorn Bay Caravan Park, on the coast of Scotland. The three hadn’t planned on setting up a community, but they shared an interest in spiritual life and their skills as gardeners attracted international visitors. Some liked it so much they decided to move in.

This peaceful community of 700 people is comprised of herbalists and healers, poets and potters, educators and experts practicing sustainable professions. They live on modest incomes, but they enjoy the fruits of their shared wealth with daily gourmet vegetarian feasts, traded talents and skills, awesome scenery, beautiful buildings, and a flourishing arts scene all part of life in this community. They also sell much of their wares including organic vegetables, homemade bread, beer, cheese, chocolate and even vodka. The community even has its own bank and community currency called the eko.

The community also has its own natural sewage treatment facility, called the Living Machine, which breaks down sewage with an ecological method using bacteria that live on plants contained in large and deep water barrels. The Living Machine is the first of its kind in the United Kingdom.

Photo Courtesy of ecoarc

By Christina Nellemann for the [Tiny House Blog]

Yurts are resilient, adaptable, portable and can be used for parties, exhibitions, as temporary or permanent housing, a hunting or ski lodge, a guest room or as a meditation space. Usually two to four people can assemble a yurt in about half a day.

Each of these companies can craft a custom yurt within a few months and have it delivered to your door. They feature decorated wood frames, traditional felt insulation, decorated canvas walls and the braided horse hair that holds the walls together. Each company also sells colorful, handmade Mongolian furniture that fit well into the yurts.

The North American climate is more humid than the Mongolian climate and therefore these yurts are specially adapted. The white felt is more resistant to humidity than traditional Mongolian felt. It is very dense and guarantees great insulation. The tarps are also specially selected for Northern climates. The wood is dried for an extensive period of time and carved and shaped by artisans in Mongolia.

Mongolians don’t use windows in their homes. In order to respect shape and traditions, but to maximize the light, these yurts include a double french door frame behind the main door and a toono (top dome). Mosquito nets that replace the walls are available on special order. Mongolian yurts can be placed directly on the ground, or on a platform.

Groovyyurts for Sale

4 walls yurt – 16′ diameter: $6335
5 walls yurt – 19′ diameter: $6935
6 walls yurt – 22′ diameter: $7835
7 walls yurt – 26′ diameter: $11900

Groovyyurts is having a spring delivery special until June. They will deliver a demo yurt to your door for $599 or $299 for a new yurt to locations in California, Oregon, Washington, Montana, Nevada, Idaho, British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Montreal and Ontario. If you purchase furniture at the same time, there is no extra delivery fee and their personal on-site set-up assistance is only $150.

Mongolian Yurts for sale

Travel yurt (11’6″) and (104 sq.ft): $ 2,400

4 wall segment yurt (15’9″ – 17’5″) and (194 – 237 sq.ft): $ 5,900

5 wall segment  yurt (17’7″-21′”2) and (247 – 347 sq.ft):
Carved Yurt $ 10900 | Decorated Yurt $ 13,900

6  wall segment yurt (21’4 – 23’2″) and (357 – 413 sq.ft):
Carved Yurt $ 11900 | Decorated Yurt $ 15,900

8  wall segment yurt (28’1-29’6″) and (610 – 683 sq.ft):
Carved Yurt $ 15900 | Decorated Yurt $ 20,900

10 wall segment yurt (33′-34’5″) and (845 – 931 sq.ft):
Carved Yurt $ 19900 | Decorated Yurt $ 22,900

Mongolian Yurts staff are available to deliver and assemble yurts in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia and Kentucky for a small supplementary charge.

A few yurt symbols and traditions:

You should enter the yurt with your right foot and do not hit the door frame with your body (this brings bad luck inside the yurt). If you do, go back out and come back in.

Orange, the most traditional Mongolian yurt color, symbolizes the sun shining over the grassland.

In Mongolia it is considered impolite to knock on a yurt’s door. You are always welcome in a yurt! To warn of your approach, one usually shouts “attach the dogs!”.

The yurt door usually faces south.

By Christina Nellemann for the (Tiny House Blog)

Their smallest design is the Garden/Backyard Dome which is approximately 12 feet in diameter, provides 100 square feet of floor space and can be built on a small stem wall to provide additional height. The advantage of this size dome is that it falls under building permit requirements and yet provides a spacious and calm ambience. Curved by Design also features two small designs: the 24 Foot Open Plan dome which is ideal as a relaxing yoga studio, a spacious conference room, or a guest house and the 24 Foot One Bedroom dome which can accomodate one spacious bedroom, a full bath and kitchen, a cozy living room and plenty of storage.

Curved by Design uses prefabricated wood panels in their designs. These panels have been created in a controlled environment with a high degree of quality, repeatability and consistency so they allow for fast and efficient on-site set-up and assembly that requires minimal labor. In fact, a typical structure can be assembled on site and ready for siding and shingle application in less than a week. The company also uses natural and renewable wood materials in the manufacturing of the curved panels, most notably the use of two-foot mill trim ends that continue to be considered as industry “wood waste”. They are categorized in this way due to the fact that the construction industry does not use shorter lengths of wood. Short pieces of solid wood (typically spruce, fir and pine) are an essential component in the formation of the panels.

From both the wood panel design and construction techniques these domes have been proven to withstand extreme seismic and load forces through testing that was completed at the University of British Columbia’s Earthquake Research Facility. The structures also have a complete open span interior since no truss or interior load bearing walls are required. This allows complete adaptability to the end use purpose and functionality of the building. The domes themselves are also relatively light and do not need special foundations. Typically domes are built on a concrete slab, crawl space or full foundation. Small domes with a stiffened floor system can also be placed on pad foundations.

Several advantages to building dome structures for any type of home or building is:

• The sphere is nature’s most efficient shape, and a dome covers the most living area with the least amount of surface area. When compared with a similar-sized rectangular-shaped house, a dome home will have 30% less surface area and use at least 1/3 less lumber.
• As domes have less surface area, they reduce the amount of energy required to heat or cool the interior space; less heat is transferred to and from its surroundings.
• Though a dome uses less material, it is unquestionably stronger than a rectangular-shaped house using stick-frame manufacturing. Dome structures have unparalleled strength and a natural ability to withstand immense earthquake, hurricane and snow load forces.
• A dome’s more compact footprint saves perimeter shell and foundation materials.

Curved by Design’s website says that the cost to build a dome is comparable to a stick-frame building, and in some cases can be less. The cost depends on the size and complexity of the dome’s shape as well as the level of completion the customer requires. Some people choose to do some or all of the finishing themselves. Others require a completely finished product – ready to move-in. Curved By Design Inc. finishes all projects to a minimum level of lock-up.

Photos courtesy of Curved by Design, Inc.

By Christina Nellemann for the (Tiny House Blog)

Japanese Dome House Website

The company is located in Japan, but the dome segments are made in their factory in South Korea. Several small “villages” of various sizes of the dome houses have been built in Japan, where the design has been approved by the Japanese Ministry of Land and Transport. This building system can also be adapted for small businesses, storage areas or bathhouses.

However, the website says that this type of construction is “semi-permanent”. I asked Dome House International what they meant by that statement and the company said that their product’s structural material, expanded polystyrene, lasts semi-permanently because it could be affected by UV light, chemicals or heat. The material is covered with a special coating that protects it from damage. The Dome Houses have not been experimented on, but Dome House International claims that they can last for 300 years. They also said that there has been several cases where expanded polystyrene has been used for decades, and when the buildings were renovated, the material had not been damaged at all.

The Dome House can be built by assembling separate dome pieces. Each dome piece weighs about 175 pounds. It will take three to four people about a week to complete a Dome House. The basic model is about 22 feet in diameter, but separate domes can be added together to make larger buildings. Since expanded polystyrene is made only from carbon and hydrogen, casting of expanded polystyrene is extremely clean. Construction of the Dome House does not produce any waste, nor does it involve any deforestation.

The Dome Houses have beautiful, simple interiors with lots of light. They have no corners, so each dome is open for interpretation and interior design. The Dome House is simple, since it is a prefabricated building with a small number of parts. Because the construction of the Dome House requires only minimal manpower and a very short period of time, it is possible to reduce the substantial amount of labor costs. Prices on the U.S. website will be available soon. However, the prices on the Japanese website for the basic dome are about 3 million yen or about $33,000, not including shipping. The prices and specifications for domes in other countries will be different.

Benefits of the International Dome House

• Ultra-thermal insulating
• Semi-permanent durability
• Wind resistant
• Earthquake resistant
• Short assembly time
• Low cost
• Good for people with chemical sensitivities

By Christina Nellemann for the (Tiny House Blog)