I live in Sonoma County in Northern California and it has kind of become a mecca for tiny house builders. There are three all within a 20 mile radius and I think there will be more in the future.
Another area in the Northwest seems to be taking on this same idea and it is Port Townsend Washington. There are several small or tiny house builders in that community and I recently discovered another one.
Ann Raab and Suzanne DeVall have recently started a company called GreenPodTM Development LLC which designs and builds custom, modular homes, which emphasize style, sustainability, and health. All products offered are chosen with concern for indoor air quality, durability and environmental responsibility.
Well-designed smaller spaces utilizing multi-purpose furnishings are the signature of GreenPodTM homes. Every Pod features low air infiltration design, aluminum clad wood windows, energy saving appliances, and LED lighting. The passive solar design of the homes saves energy naturally, while the interior glass doors and high windows create comfortable, naturally-lit living areas.
Every Pod contains low flow plumbing. Options include greywater recycling, rain water storage, roof gardens or living roofs. Pods can also be placed on Diamond Pin foundations, further reducing their ecological footprint.
Our attention to detail and sustainability also extends to the GreenPod’s interiors. Our exclusive textiles include linens and furnishings in four color palettes. The certified 100 percent organic cotton, bamboo, and hemp used in the interiors are biodegradable and completely sustainable.>
What makes GreenPodTM an Intelligent Environment?
- Respectful use of resources
- Environmentally smart design
- Concern for health, safety, and the future.
- Practices ‘closed loop cycle’
- Encourages local sustainability
- Savings in construction costs, maintenance, and utilities use
Pictured here are several of their designs and a couple interior pictures as well. If you are looking for a quality small home and are on the west coast be sure and check these out. Visit the GreenPod website to view the floor plans, pricing and more.
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These are beautiful houses. But I wonder about things like lack of storage, kitchen and bathroom far apart, no closet/place for coats @ front door, bathroom that you get to by walking thru the bedroom (okay for occupants, but okay for guests?). All of these issues can be solved by thinking thru the design, even small houses can work well.
Good point EJ, one thing I’ve always liked about Jay Shafer’s designs is the large amount of storage even in his tiniest of houses. Many other designers tend to forget the importance of storage and than the person living in it has to figure it out.
These two designs are beautiful, as are the interiors, but the hyperlink to the floorplans has been hijacked by a rug dealer (not kidding). I checked the website and could not find pricing details…am I overlooking something?
Thank you.
Hi Ellen – Go to the pods page http://www.greenpoddevelopment.com/solopods.php the floor plans are there and so are some basic prices…Kent
How I wish that some of this technology would migrate east. People living here in Pa and Nj etc, can appreciate this mentality too. The cost for shipping something like this such a distance is prohibitive. Love the designs though!!!! Keep at it, this is the wave of the future.
So beautiful on both concept and prototype. All generous functionality is eco-friendly with environmentally choice of “…greywater recycling, rain water storage, roof gardens or living roofs.”
These green systems will obviously reduce formaldehyde effected from wastes.
http://www.lifesbox.com – custom modular building manufacturer, Thailand.
Seems like it switches from you describing them to their description–but maybe I’m not reading that right? Just a little confusing as far as who was giving the info.
e-mail me
I am curious about code and siting. Is the diamond pin OK in various locales? Just curious. Nice exterior shapes, by the way.
Those pricing points are just what I expect from architects and designers. These are “nice”, but nothing ground breaking or new. There is a lot of lipstick inside these…but they are conceptual.
A wee bit of creative license taken with the pictures.
Love the design and depth of character. I hope to build one for myself and for other disabled people here in Vermont and hopefully for anyone who would be open to a small design.
Work well done guys. I love it !
Robert Brooke
Hi, do you know of anyone in Ontario or Quebec who is doing similar work? Or in the US northeast? I’m interested in cold-weather adaptations, suitable for 4-season living (-30C to 35C temperature ranges).
I love the one in the woods, in the main photo. With more and more woodland coming up for sale in the UK, this one would be perfect.
Like the cottages of old, (in the UK) considerations of space were quite catered for by blilt-in cupboards, wardrobes and bookcases.
I gather with modern insulation etc, heating can be maximised at minimum cost, and that these builds can be 100% off the grid by using Universal systems and hybrid Solar/wind power?
I just stumbled up this today, quite some time after the original blog post and I checked out their website http://www.greenpoddevelopment.com/solopods.php# and it was pretty cool. They’ve got a lot more selection and more storage in the larger units now. I don’t know if I’d buy one of these or not if I had the means but if they’re extremely well built it could be worth the extra expense because even if one could be built for a lot less they do a lot of extra stuff and use ‘green’ materials.
So beautiful on both concept and prototype