Michael Janzen who is building the Tiny Free House also is quite the designer himself. He recently started a blog called Tiny House Design and has started adding a few of his own small or tiny house designs to it. A few weeks ago Michael spotted a cool little Austrian hotel room online built from a large concrete storm drain pipe. He decided to take this idea and design a 320 square foot house using 12 foot diameter pipe. I’ll let him explain it in more detail below.
I chose to imagine using four big 12 foot diameter by 8 foot long sections as the basic building blocks for this concept home. This seems to be the largest standard size concrete pipe you can buy. After adding flat floors the total square footage of four of these big pipes would be about 320 square feet. Not exactly a tiny house but definitely small and plenty of space for a small home or vacation rental.
I think this design works the best. It would be the simplest to build and would require the least amount of on-site concrete work. The four sections could also be lined up in a row but the entry would be lost. The southern orientation adds a passive solar benefit and would help warm the home in the summer. The added insulation provided by the earth berms would provide the thermal mass needed to naturally regulate temperature year round. Only the main living space faces south but I think this would be sufficient to keep the space comfortable. Placing the bedroom in the back would also give the home owner a place to escape on particularly hot days.
Go to the Tiny House Design site to learn more. Michael made a total of four designs using this concept so be sure and check them all out.
Design by Michael Janzen (click on picture to view larger image)
If you enjoyed this post, subscribe to our feed
what an awesome design concept.
Michael’s site is defitely worth checking out
Cheers
Any idea what the sections of pipe cost?? It seems like a good idea for both vertical and horizontal orientations.
Great concept I was thinking on the same lines only in a vertical application, semi-subterranean with cooling towers
Hi – I love this idea! If I one day get a big enough space, I will build this one, for guests and random guests.
Keep up the good work!
In Norway I came over this cottage in an old oil tank. Also looks amazing to me; http://www.dagbladet.no/2010/11/28/magasinet/sondag/interior/interiorblogg_2010/reise/14462231/
Speaking regarding the topic “Tiny House Blog , Archive Concrete Pipe House” is actually interesting on http://tinyhouseblog.com. What Exactly Is the ideal product in order to utilize around the stove pipe in order to seal it?
Why is it nobody ever posts prices or how to find costs for a sewer pipe basic length. Let’s be practical. Who sells this pipe what size is it? What permits do you need to go underground? Etc. who has done one of these projects?
Steve
A couple of thoughts. One if you are worried about the cost or cannot do it yourself you are in over you head to start. The tube is the cheap part. Shipping and the crane will cost dearly. If you have to get permits you are thinking about building in the wrong spot. Personally, I would use the foam wall system and pour the the thing the way it suites me. Way easier.
Stephen is not “in over his head”. We must account for many variables including costs and permits.
Shandong CICQ Heavy Industry Co., Ltd is a china leading manufacturer producing complete prestressed and reinforced spun concrete pole production line equipments, concrete pipe production line equipments ,more details you can visit our website http://www.concretepolemachine.com/ or add my skye:cnjack001
A very good list of simple ideas to improve your home. Thanks for a great article!
I’d recommend precast concrete box culvert.