Urban settings are slowly being transformed by the tiny house. Whether it be micro apartments or newly accepted ADUs, tiny spaces are becoming more accepted within cities and larger towns. The typical cityscape is due to change even more with the development of the airy Kasita and “The Stack” concept.
The Kasita units can be sited individually or in a “stack.”
Designed and developed by Kasita CEO Jeff Wilson (who made headlines when he lived out of a 33 square foot Dumpster for over a year to test the limits of habitable space) and his team in Austin, Texas, the Kasita is a smart, modern micro home that can fit into various locations.
Kasita CEO Jeff Wilson lived for a year in a Dumpster to test habitable space.
The Kasita comes in two sizes and can be used as backyard apartments, personal offices, multi-family apartments, condos, hotels, student housing, workforce housing, senior housing or music/sound studios. While the basic ADU units are 352 square feet, there will be high density stackable units that are a roomy 370 square feet. Each unit is built in a climate controlled manufacturing plant.
The Kasita is a self-contained, contemporary design.
The units can be placed in a variety of locations.
The stackable units can be placed in pre-approved areas and connected with other Kasitas and into city utilities. Each unit is transported via flatbed truck and put into place by crane. This concept will most likely work best in conjunction with governments, institutions or city developers. Having a Kasita unit manufactured only takes about six to eight weeks. In addition, since Kasita takes care of nearly all the permits and inspections a new owner only needs to deal with a few local permits and site planning.
The interior features a raised platform with storage underneath.
The living room has a sofa bed with access to a galley kitchen.
The TV is hidden inside a storage unit.
The bathroom has a stylish chrome shower head by Delta.
The kitchen features an under counter refrigerator.
So what do these innovative little units look like? With their multitude of well-placed windows and simple lines, the Kasitas are fresh and clean looking with nice storage options. The open interior has 10 foot high ceilings, but no loft. The living area is two levels with an elevated sitting area surrounded by windows and a lower level with a sofa bed and hidden TV. Another set of stairs lead up to the galley kitchen complete with dishwasher, induction cooktop and oven, washer/dryer combo and under counter refrigerator by Summit. Just behind the kitchen is the sleeping area with a queen bed and a walk-in shower.
The entire unit can be controlled by an app on your phone. Smart features include a thermostat by Nest and a voice-controlled Echo speaker by Amazon. The unit also has a wireless LED lighting system and electrochromic windows that automatically turn from opaque to transparent depending upon the outdoor lighting conditions.
The Kasita is now available for order and starts at $139,000. Units purchased in quantities of four or more are available at $99,000 each. A video and VR tour is available on the website and you can also tour the model unit in Austin, Texas.
Photos by Kasita
By Christina Nellemann for the [Tiny House Blog]