Kelly is unofficially calling the two building designs ModPods. She and Pam were inspired by some similar structures they came across while traveling by motorcycle on Orcas Island, Wash.

“I nearly went off the road on my bike when I saw these tiny houses,” Kelly said.

The two offices are 10×12 (120 square feet), are 15 feet high on the back end and 12 feet high on the front end. The roofs were designed to accommodate solar panels (to be installed soon) and are situated for solar gain through the sliding glass doors in the winter. When the farm staff began to move into the first office, they didn’t have heat, so they covered the existing walls with cob for insulation. On the day I was there it was unseasonably warm outside, but at least 20 degrees cooler in the finished office – even up in the loft. The loft (accessed by a ladder) is large enough to stand up in and will be used for a working and lounging space. Downstairs in the finished office is a small bathroom, a sink, a desk and some storage space. Kelly would like to install a small kitchenette by Avanti in the second office.

The structures were built by the local Boy Scouts and volunteers over a couple of months, but Kelly said the structures are designed to be built in about four days and for around $15,000. HabeRae will build each unit for approximately $27,000. Each of the buildings are on a slab foundation.

In addition to the two offices, the Urban Roots staff also built an experimental greenhouse/storage shed out of old wood pallets covered with cob and a tin roof. A bunny named Dandelion lives in a cage in front of the cob structure. Dandelion will be joined soon by a goat, some bees, a few chickens and a pond full of frogs. Urban Roots receives most of their supplies from donations, Habitat for Humanity, Craigslist and they depend on volunteers affectionately named Worker Bees.

The farm sits behind a former hotel on 4th Street that HabeRae Homes converted into one-bedroom apartments called 14 on 4th.

The pallet/cob interior of the storage shed

Photos by Christina Nellemann

By Christina Nellemann for the [Tiny House Blog]

Manu, who is a designer who creates custom furniture, wanted the home to be eco-friendly as well.

“Little and low-priced to me is green,” he said to Arizona Central.

The tiny house contains a small kitchen/dining area, a living room, one bedroom with a walk-in closet and a bathroom with a sunken tub. From the front door of the house, every room is visible except the bathroom. A full size washer and dryer are inside a closet and a tiny office area utilizes a vintage sewing-machine cabinet as a desk. In the kitchen the appliances are smaller than average and the eating area is a steel breakfast bar. The couple had a stove custom made and they use Japanese shoji screens to separate the bedroom and living/cooking area. In fact, every door in the house is a sliding screen door.

The couple’s home has a beautiful, simple design but also contains vintage and inexpensively refurbished items. For example, the bathroom sink is made of a $2 bamboo serving tray from Goodwill and the sunken tub was crafted from leftover pieces of marble tile. They call their style “shanty-city chic.”

In addition, since the home is located in Arizona, the spacious, covered deck also gets a lot of use.

Photos courtesy of Gavin Parsons and azcentral.com

By Christina Nellemann for the [Tiny House Blog]

George built a small house, inspired by storage sheds he had seen at Home Depot and Lowes, for only $1,200. It is partially off the grid and the windows were about $100 each. He used styrofoam insulation and basic off-the-rack supplies. He feels that most young people out of college can build what is essentially a box in a backyard and live cheaply while getting their first jobs and paying off school debt.

George has other videos on issues facing the traditional American including unemployment, the economy, suburban flight and living off-grid.

Sick of Living at Home? Build a Small House.

Photo and video courtesy of Survive and Thrive in the New Economy

By Christina Nellemann for the [Tiny House Blog]

The smallest design is the MatchBox, a studio that packs a kitchen, living room and bath into 400 square feet. It can fit into a lot that is 17 by 27 feet and starts at $79,500. A larger design is the SandBox, a one story backyard cottage with kitchen, living room, bathroom and one bedroom. It is 600 square feet and is designed for simple and minimalist living on one level, and will fit on most city lots at just 17 by 37 feet. The SandBox starts at $86,500. Each of these houses are custom architect-designed and you can choose from three finish levels.

What I really liked about these designs (besides the sleek, cool look) was the space allocated for a mechanical area within the house, which is sometimes lacking in other small house designs. Backyard Box also offers several finish options they call Elements:

Essential – half bath, open floor plan, garage-style door – with basic finishes, this works for a retreat, office, studio, or future living quarters.  Easy to upgrade to full finish package over time or do it yourself.

Complete – full kitchen, full bath, built-ins, one level – this is the complete finish package, move-in ready.

Luxe – upgraded kitchen cabinets, countertops, bath tile package, and diamond polished concrete floors.

Accessories – add these and more to customize your Box:

• Aluminum and glass garage door opening
• Smart Box – Net Zero Energy
• Rain garden
• Bega exterior lighting package
• Corten steel backyard firebowl designed by John T. Unger
• Interior LED lighting
• Solar hot water
• Solar electric panels
• Smart Home Energy Dashboard
• Green roof
• Hydronic radiant heated floors

MatchBox Floorplan

SandBox Floorplan

Backyard Box also offers a larger design called the BigBox, and they can also create a CustomBox for your backyard or lot. All the Box homes are eco-friendly, and every Backyard Box incorporates sustainable features, such as pre-wiring for solar power, super-insulated walls and windows, non-toxic paints, and rain screen siding.

Founder Sloan Ritchie launched Backyard Box in response to the cultural shifts taking place today where consumers find themselves in need of a little extra space for a home office or studio, aging parents or boomerang kids, income via a new rental property, or a mix of these over time. Having developed his own backyard into a single family home, Sloan saw an incredible opportunity to help other local homeowners make the most of their home investment and living choices. And today, adoption of backyard cottage ordinances makes it much easier.

Sloan has been at the forefront of green and sustainable building in the Seattle area for several years, building some of Seattle’s first LEED certified homes. He and his experienced design team are dedicated to pushing the envelope in sustainability and energy efficiency, environmentally appropriate material selection, and innovative development practices – at affordable prices. Backyard Box homes reflect a personal commitment and passion for sustainable, quality living.

BLIP Design – Architect Jim Burton, AIA, LEED A.P., has 18 years of experience in residential, institutional, office, and other project types. He is a Certified Passive House Consultant, member of the US Green Building Council, Cascadia Chapter GBC, Built-Green, Solar Washington, Passive House Northwest, and the NW Eco-Building Guild. He is currently serving as the President of the Central Puget Sound (Seattle) Chapter of the NW Eco-Building Guild.

All Backyard Boxes are designed and built to Passive House standards, the most advanced energy efficiency practices anywhere in the world. That yields a 90% reduction in heating and cooling energy versus typical construction.

Pricing includes everything except foundation and utility hookups, as that will vary depending on your lot. They also leave appliances up to the customer since personal tastes vary widely. The base models come complete with high-end durability and sustainable features including rain screen siding, solar PV pre-wiring, standing seam metal roof, and the most energy efficient designs in the world.

Expanded distribution now includes the West Region: Washington, Oregon, California, British Columbia, Nevada, Idaho, Montana and Wyoming.

By Christina Nellemann for the [Tiny House Blog]

Cabana Village builds cabin kits and cottage bunkies to be used as weekenders, lakeside cottages, starter cabins or backyard retreats. They also build pool houses, sheds, garden studios and garage kits. The cabins, cottages and bunkies feature cedar doors, windows and trim and are available in cedar or maintenance-free Canexel siding. All their cabanas have 1/2″ plywood roof sheathing and 2×4 SPF framing. With their sturdy construction and use of quality materials, extensive pre-fabrication, ease of assembly, and attractive design, their possible uses are only limited by your imagination.

An 87″ wall height is standard on Cabana Village’s kit cabins and you have a choice of a 7 in 12 (30°) or an 10 in 12 (40°) roof pitch. These cabin kits are designed with a sleeping loft and come with either a ladder or 15° hardwood stairs (depending on the size of the unit). They carefully pre-fabricate and pre-assemble as much of each structure as possible without making it impossible to handle and overly expensive to ship. The exact amount of pre-fabrication possible will vary slightly with size and design.

They have various sizes for their smallest cabins: the 12 foot cabins (12×12, 12×14 and 12×14 with dormer window) cost between $11,000 and $14,000. The 14 foot cabins (14×14, 14×16 and 14×16 with dormer window) cost between $15,000 and $17,000. They also offer larger kits that run into the $20,000 range.

Included in the price is:

• everything you need including a wood floor, all hardware and fasteners, and assembly instructions
• pre-assembly of walls, doors, windows and cupolas
• freight to most destinations in the contiguous United States

Not included in the price is:

• shingles (due to the many color and style variations, and weight considerations)
• foundation
• installation

Right now Cabana Village has a few bargains on bunkies, cabins and pool houses if ordered by March 31, 2010.

Cabana Village offers a full color 24 page brochure for $10.00. They will include a coupon for $100 off the price of any structure if you buy the brochure and then purchase a kit.

By Christina Nellemann for the (Tiny House Blog)

While living in an area populated by people from the Basque region, some residents around the Reno/Lake Tahoe area will sometimes catch a glimpse of a sheepherder, his sheep and his home in the high desert: a small trailer or sheep wagon.

My post on the gypsy caravans was popular, so I thought I would do a post on the classic (and contemporary) sheep wagon.

Sheep wagons are usually about 7 to 8 feet wide and about 12 to 16 feet long. Inside the wagon is usually room for one bed or bunks, a small stove, sink and cooking area, storage for clothes and an eating area. Most sheep wagons do not have bathrooms or showers.

Old Western Wagons

Sheep wagons are more of an American West style and the gypsy caravan is more of a European style. The sheep wagon has a curved roof supported by hoops and looks more like a covered wagon. The roof can be made from heavy duty cloth or wood. I have even seen a few with tin or corregated metal roofs.

Several companies in the U.S. convert old wagons or build new wagons for vacation homes and retreats or backyard offices and country cabins. There are also a few books with great photos and information on sheep wagons including Portable Houses by Irene Rawlings and Mary Abel and Retreats by G. Lawson Drinkard III.

Old Western Wagons

Old Western Wagons

Old Western Wagons

Old Point Reyes Campground Shepherd's Wagon

Home on the Range Sheep Wagon

Anvil Wagonworks

Old Western Wagons

Visit a Montana 1880′s Ranch

Stay in a Shepherd’s Wagon in Point Reyes

Hanson Wheel & Wagon Shop

Story from Mother Earth News on living in a sheep wagon

Idaho Sheep Camp

Moore Ranch

Roadhouse Wagons

Woolywagons

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WoodManor Playhouses offers plans, pre-cut kits and fully built playhouses for about 13 different styles ranging from Queen Anne to Condo. The largest is around 23 ft wide, 13 feet long and 14 feet high. What I liked about these homes were the details that were put into the interior which includes inside walls and staircases.

I thought these were some of the most beautiful playhouses I have ever seen. Maybe a tiny house enthusiast can take one of these samples and make it just a little bit larger for an adult.

By Christina Nellemann

The Studio Shed by Modern-Shed was recently featured in Dwell magazine and I was impressed that these stylish dwellings with their clean lines and Japanese design do not look like your typical backyard shed.

Modern-Shed is simply about storage, fun, space, architecture in your backyard. It gives you the chance to have an office away from home, a small art studio, guest or rental quarters, or to free up room in the garage.

The Modern Shed buildings are available in five styles: Basic, Studio, Designer, Dwelling and Play. The goal for all Modern-Shed sheds is to be able to be assembled quickly and with few tools. All models are packed flat with all the panels pre-built and finished. The Studio Shed comes with pre-insulated walls and roof panels.

For tiny house lovers who want a little more space, the Dwelling Shed may be what you are looking for. The Dwelling Shed comes in multiple configurations, is shipped with pre-painted parts, insulation in the roof, walls and floor, tongue and groove wood ceiling, and a metal roof. However, the kitchen and bathroom fixtures are not included and the plumbing and electrical will need to be installed on site.

Modern-Shed builds their sheds under one roof, which cuts down on waste and travel time and fuel. The company purchases their supplies from local manufacturers in the Seattle area. They also offer a variety of exterior and interior materials and colors and some eco-friendly options such as:

• Denim wall insulation
• Cork floor tiles
• Linoleum Floor Tiles
• Tex Decking
• Structurally Insulated panels (SIPS)
• Sustainable wood
• Green roofs

The Dwelling Shed starts at $39,900 for the 475 square foot model and $69,900 for the 750 square foot model. Each model comes with exterior french doors and wall-mounted sliding interior doors.

Re-visit their site for upcoming photos and information on the very cool looking Designer Shed.

By Christina Nellemann

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In the middle of winter, I start dreaming about tropical locales. For people who are lucky enough to be able to let the outdoors into their homes almost all year long, the “Wee Hus” from Gado Gado International in Santa Rosa, Calif. might be the perfect tiny house for you.

These tiny teak homes with their exquisite details are designed from the original style found in Indonesia and are built in Java. Both the original traditional tiny houses and the newer ones are made from reclaimed teak using traditional mortise and tenon joinery.

Gado Gado uses nails and bolts sparingly where needed for structural strength and safety.The tiny houses are named after Gado Gado owner, David Sussman’s Irish Aunt Patsy.

Indonesia is in earthquake country, and there are more >6.0 earthquakes in Java than in California. These little houses have stood up to large temblors precisely because of how they were constructed: the complex joinery system with through-going tenons through tenons in two directions gives the structure sufficient strength but allows enough flexibility to sway during earthquake movements without falling over.

The ceilings of some of the tiny houses range from simple teak lap-jointed planks to highly carved original “joglo” pieces. Gado Gado cuts the roof shingles by hand out of reclaimed teak boards.

Tumpang Sari Carved Ceiling

Joglo Painted Ceiling

The tiny houses range from 8×8 ft. up to 16×16 ft., and are priced at $10,000 up to about $30,000 based on size, complexity, and the amount of original or new carving requested by the customer. They are built for longevity, and can stand up to rain, snow and direct sun. Teak is more resistant to rot and bugs than any hardwood or softwood grown in the U.S. due to its high resin content and the presence of 1%-2% silica (basically like beach sand) taken up by the teak tree from the soil. These houses are not yet built to U.S. standards for year-round living, although such modifications are not difficult during installation. The original Indonesian teak homes were not built with wiring or plumbing, but this can be added later by the customer.

Gado Gado offers a CD-ROM that shows the step-by-step construction of a 16×12 ft Wee Hus. You can order the CD-ROM from the website.

The teak homes ship to the customer as “knock down” with each mortise and tenon marked to show where they will be put together. Scaled drawings of the pier foundation are also included. Gado Gado recommends that customers invite all their friends that are handy with tools and make a day of it (a 12×16 ft. tiny house takes about 1.5 days to set up with 8 people). However, it is worth the money to get the owner, David Sussman and one of his staff, out to the site to guide the installation.

By Christina Nellemann

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Summerwood Products in Toronto, Canada has a fantastic website that is very detailed, and provides some excellent foder for the tiny house enthusiast. Summerwood sells finely crafted outdoor products such as garden sheds, pool cabanas, gazebos, garages, playhouses, home studios and spa enclosures, but I really fell for their tiny backyard cabins which don’t have to stay in the backyard.

You can buy a pre-cut kit, a pre-assembled kit or the plans for the tiny cabins. The pre-assembled format is designed for quick, convenient assembly, with most of the components pre-assembled and ready for you to put together on site. The pre-cut format is ideal for the consummate do-it-yourselfer. Summerwood designs the product, purchases and cuts all the materials, builds the doors and windows and ships the pieces to the buyer. Pre-cut structures will likely require about 50% more assembly time, but they are also less expensive and may offer greater satisfaction once the job is done.

Canmore Cabin 16x16

The tiny cabins range in price from about $9,000 to $30,000 for pre-cut, to $10,000 to $34,000 for pre-assembled. The plans are about $160. Until December 31, 2008, they are offering free plans. The buyer can customize their own cabin on the website.

Canmore Cabin

I really fell in love with the Canmore cabins which come in both small and large sizes. Less than 144 square feet for the small and 145 and up for the large. The largest is 20×20 feet. The Canmore has about 16 styles to choose from. Some of the larger styles of cabins are the Cheyenne cabins which are from 168 to 540 square feet and the Mountain Brook cabins from 168 to 512 square feet. The Breckenridge cabins are 12×18 or 14×24 feet.

The Summerwood website also lists the tools you will need to build your own tiny cabin, your assembly time, types of foundations to use, a breakdown of the cabin dimensions and materials and cut-away views of the construction. They offer different floor plans, 3D tours of the structures and options for customization. The homes can be fitted with electrical, plumbing and insulation.

After purchasing the base model, materials upgrades are available, including:

• Cedar siding to beautifully finish interior walls and ceilings
• 2-sided partition walls to create separate rooms and more private spaces
• Steel doors for a modern and stylish look
• Insulation for warmth and protection
• An array of available cedar upgrades for rafters, trusses, studs, floor boards, and roof boards

Summerwood ships to anywhere in the world, but if you live in the U.S. shipping is included in your kit price.

By Christina Nellemann

Breckenridge Cabin

Canmore Cabin

Camore Cabin

Cheyenne Cabin

Cheyenne Cabin

Canmore Cabin 20x20

Telluride Cabin

Telluride Loft