A Tiny House in South Bohemia Landscape

by Kent Griswold on August 17th, 2012. 30 Comments

Guest Post by Robert Zeman

Good morning America :-)

My name is Robert Zeman and I live in South Bohemi regin in Czech republic (former Czechoslovakia) in town Prachatice – one of the nicest tiny renessaince town in The Middle Europe.

I would like to share with you the pleasure to see our town and offer you visit Prachatice via not only municipal webside with webcams on www.prachatice.eu or Google street view….

Robert's cabin

Second area of interest which I would like to share with you is my cabin which I built up and finally filled up my boy dream – to build by own hands a wooden house. A cabin is destinated to backgroud of a small hobby farm what I step by step build up.

The cabin I have built for 2 years almost during weekend time in period 03/10 to 06/12. Along and some type of work with one friend according to plans designed by myself.

  1. Measures: groundplan: 4x9m height: 5m. Total costs are cca 13000 USD.
  2. The cabin is based on 4 concrete panels and steel base frame. A cabin frame is made from solid wood and sided by raw planks outside. Inside by planed planks.
  3. The frame is insulated by rockwool and protected against moisture by foiles.
  4. Roof is made from planks shingles and work properly.
  5. Cost of 1m2 was cca 6 USD.
  6. There is no electricity grid, use gasoline generator – 2 kW for tools.
  7. For all building process I used cca 4 gallons of petrol incl.chain saw consumption.
  8. Lighting in cabin is provided by oil lamps.
  9. Heating by stove with American chimney.
  10. Use swedish ecotoilet.
  11. Use mobile shower for 12 V.

For cooking use a small gas cooker. Spoiled water from shower and dish washing is stored in 3 m3 out water resistant reservoir. Clean water use from spring and avarage consumption is cca 20l/per day for everything. All Furniture I made from the rest of wood planks.

A cabin is independent for any power net, in the future I would like to set up the photovoltaic panel with equipement. The building process you can see on images. I look forward to your possible questions.

Best regards Robert

30 Responses to “A Tiny House in South Bohemia Landscape”

  1. Sara Crowe says:

    Fantastic cabin, Robert, and a beautiful part of the world too.

  2. Debra says:

    Wow! This is beautiful! I am happy for you, well done.

  3. Mike says:

    Good job, Robert. It is everything you could want and nothing you don’t want.

    The photo in the snow is my favorite.

  4. Kurt says:

    Very nice. I like the shape/proportions.

  5. Ryan says:

    Robert Fantastické!

    What a great cozy welcoming cabin you have built. Congratulations and that you for sharing and giving me one more place I need to visit in Europe.

  6. Reese says:

    Love your cabin! My husband and I would love to build something like this. Thanks for sharing it with us.

  7. gmh says:

    Just lovely- thank you for sharing!

  8. Very nice! Do you get a lot of wildlife passing by there?

    • Robert says:

      Hi Small House Bliss,

      yes that is a wild life area, so if you area quite, you see deers, foxes etc. That is nice – to be a part of the nature…

      Cheers Robert

  9. Kent says:

    Wow Robert – what a beautiful place! I love the winter picture and the thought of you all cozy in the place you built with your own hands!

  10. Marian says:

    Gratulujem Robert, nádherná chata aj miesto.

  11. Robert Zeman says:

    Hi Kent, thank you very much for possibility of sharing my experience on your very nice web what I read more than 2 years…

    Thank you all of you who has written your kind words. It is really nice to read them…

    The most of all I am happy if you see our town on website http://www.prachatice.eu or will sometime personally visit!

    Bye Robert

  12. spynfo says:

    Zdravim,
    prekvapilo, jak malo je do detailu popsana podlahova cast… Videt je pouze sterkova “lavice”, jestli je folie pod ni, na ni, na tom beton? Na tom tepelna izolace? Na tom pak drevo?
    Jinak krasna prace.

  13. spynfo says:

    a ta Svedska toaleta, to jako pada do nejakeho krematoria? To byl vtip. Mate nejake links? Diky moc.

    • Robert Zeman says:

      Zdravím, k Vašemu dotazu.

      Protože je v míst? m?kká p?da, ud?lal jsem to takto.

      1. zhutnil plá? ru?ním motorovým p?chem
      2. ud?lal rovinu ze št?rkového lože podle trubek
      3. položil 4 silni?ní panely jako základ
      4. na nich leží a p?enáší zatížení rošt z jakl?
      na n?m je již postavena konstrukce z trám?. Tzn. mezi panely a d?evem je volný prostor, který v?trá – 20 cm
      5. Skladba je jednoduchá první nenosný záklop z prken, na ních paropropustná folie, vata s trámky na uchycení ?isté podlahy, parot?sná folie, podlahová prkna.

      Viz obrázky, by? nemají detaily.

      Funguje to, drží to 2. rokem, pokud by došlo k hnutí podloží – panel?, m?lo bych být schopen takto celý d?m rektifikovat (má cca 9 t.)

      Ekotoaleta – je to vlastn? suchý záchod, který má odv?trání s 12V motorkem (ventilátor do PC za 60 K?), který se zapne, když je v provozu nebo na stálo. Má to záklopku s t?sn?ním, takže to fakt nesmrdí – ob?as trochu podle tlaku vzduchu, ale zapnu na chvíli ventilátor a je to OK, abych neplýtval proud z baterie. Toaleta stála 13 tisíc K?, ale nelituji toho. Jinak najdete povídání na ekotoalety.cz Mám Separetu 30.

      Díky za dotaz a a? se da?í. :-)

  14. Melanie says:

    Good work, looks great! Thanks for sharing your story of your tiny cabin! Beautiful surroundings!

  15. Paula says:

    Hello Robert. Your cabin looks cozy. I have a question about your wood burning red stove. Where is it made? Thanks and best wishes.

  16. Charlie says:

    Thanks for sharing Robert. I’m blown away (hope that’s not lost in translation). Fantastic, beautiful etc. Congratulations on making your dream come true.

  17. Joanne says:

    Very nice Robert

  18. Shell says:

    Thank you so much for sharing pictures of your beautiful home.

  19. rich says:

    Nicely proportioned and detailed. Interesting hybrid structural system, especially the floor. Is the steel substructure common practice in your area?
    Tx for sharing.

    • Robert says:

      Hi Rich,

      thanks for your words. The steel frame is not common practice in Czech republic, I think. I used this one because soil has not enough density and road concrete panels were the cheapest, simplest and quality solution for the base. I should be able to rectify all cabin via this subculture if necessary – I hope so, because total weight is cca 9 tons.

      So the future will show all :-)

      Cheers Robert

  20. Michal says:

    nice trick Bobby!!!

  21. Alan says:

    Very nice, Robert. Is that a road five feet from the back of your cabin?

  22. Robert says:

    Hi Alan. Yes. That is a field road to medow. No rush. The reason to locate a cabin near road is safe land for agriculture purposes. Regards Robert

  23. Kenise says:

    Hey Robert, love your cabin. Beautiful countryside, it looks so peaceful. Is that post and beam construction? Also you insulated with wool? Those are both my goals. Great work.

    Kenise

    • Robert says:

      Hi Kinise,

      yes, it a typical post and beam solid construction. Insulated by rockwool.

      Thanks for your nice words :-)

      Regards Robert

  24. [...] I want to live in a yurt…or a tiny house in Bohemia. I can’t [...]

Add Your Photo: To add your photo to your comments just visit Gravatar and upload your photo.

Leave a Reply