The i-house has been in the news a lot lately. Though not considered a tiny house starting at 773 square feet, it is a step in the right direction and getting people to think smaller is the right way to go. MSN had a great article about it and below is a portion of what they had to say.
It looks like a house you’d order from Ikea. It sounds like a house designed by Apple. The I-House just might be the future — well, one future, anyway — of the housing market.
Clayton Homes, based in Maryville, Tenn., is one of America’s largest manufacturers of mobile homes and prefabricated housing. So when President Kevin Clayton wanted to go green, he gave his architects a free hand, instructing them to incorporate as many green products as possible and to produce a home that was super energy-efficient — the only constraint was that it had to be something that could be built in existing facilities.
The Clayton folks see the typical customer for the I-House as being younger and more affluent than traditional mobile-home buyers. The interior and exterior are attractive, looking like something from a high-end home show.
Visit the Clayton i-house website for a virtual tour and to design your own.
Photo Credit: Popular Mechanics





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Definitely visit the Clayton website and look at Flex I, II & III. You’ve got to dig a little, as the Flex is shown as an option for the main house, but is basically self contained. They definitely qualify as tiny (or small) houses. The Flex II is 2 bed, 1 bath with 620 sq.ft. and a base model price of $38,975. I really dig that roof patio! This would be a perfect pad for a younger guy like myself, and I assume that with enough work you could convert the second bedroom into a kitchen/dining area.
The price and style are right, unless the finishes really make it more expensive. I do kinda wonder how that flat roof would withstand snow.
and a roof that drains toward the middle is always asking for trouble.
Yeah, that “butterfly” roof on the I-House is stupid, but it’s great to see one of the big mobile home manufacturers move out of the 19th century.
PS – flat roofs can be designed to carry a heavy snow load. Almost all commercial buildings have flat roofs.
Well, I guess the roof can carry people, and the psi of snow probably isn’t as heavy. I just always wonder about leaks when snow sits on a structure. I’ve worked in several flat roof buildings, and they all leaked after wet snow.
I live in a 1926 craftsman home with 5 people, we have been very creative to keep it clutter free. I quilt, so my hubby pulled out the livingroom coat closet and set it up as a quilting room, open the door I have a sewing space, close the door, is a closet. Closets have lots of extra shelves and storage. We toss the junk mail before it gets in the house and if something new comes in, old goes out.
Love your site!
Does anyone know who builds a better Green Home Cavco or Clayton?
Clayton i-house + RainCatchers = i-raincatchers. RainCatchers has custom designed a whole-house rainwater harvesting system that fully leverages the i-house rainwater catchment capabilities.
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