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10 of the smallest homes in the world: A truly eco-abode
10 of the smallest homes in the world
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Tiny Texas Homes
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Maxx
Oct 03 2012 at 4:36 PM
I would go up & buy an ice cream, only to find out its someones diggs.
yokohamacat
Sep 03 2012 at 10:31 AM
If you visit Japan, you gotta try capsule hotels. It costs you from $10 to $40. You sleep in a tiny cell where you can at least stretch your legs. There is a tiny TV and phone and blanket. That is it. Other things are shared by all, like toilets and bath.
Jef Com
Apr 18 2012 at 2:11 AM
Built 16 x 18 foot one story one room house on a 40 x 60 foot lot A few years ago. Has in floor heat. Taxes $800 a year. Electric bill averages $60 a month including heat in cold Wisconsin winter. Started my small house adventures with a 12 x 12 backyard house in Florida. Lived in it and rented the house.
Tarrant
May 09 2011 at 11:23 AM
My partner just saw me flipping through this gallery and asked how small of a house we could handle once it just is the two of us. I picked a random number--250 sq ft.
What would be your answer?
Guest
Jul 15 2012 at 11:00 PM
Partner and I have lived in 270 sq feet for the past 8 years. We could manage in a bit less, perhaps 225. No regrets.
vedette
Mar 03 2011 at 11:33 AM
that is one portable home, no need to pay for taxes or electricity bills.
Bendier Johnson
Nov 18 2012 at 10:50 PM
Ah, but he is forced to buy an extremely expensive bicycle license every year!
And must pedal quite a bit to power his single dangerous CFL light bulb!
Therese
Aug 23 2010 at 10:19 PM
I remember reading a "morality story" about a farmer who gave his son a really rocky piece of land for his inheritance. The son had to clear the rocks before he could plant anything, and he also had to come up with creative uses for the rock since this was back in the old days before trash removal. So the son used the rocks to build a wall around his property and to build his home. The exercise was meant to teach him the value of hard work and making do with what one has. I would suggest you can
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try clearing an area for your home in a similar fashion. As for the house, rocks still make good building material for walkways and the like, and while I don't recommend a real fireplace, you could still use it in a decorative fashion for other purposes.
Rukiya Belagam
Aug 20 2010 at 4:16 PM
These days do we really all need to have 4000 SQ++ and granite countertops, 4 car garages?
No way! We are not all celebs.
This house is an extreme but the norm is an extreme now as well.
We should take a lesson from this man and take it down a notch.
Rukiya Belagam
mandy
Aug 17 2010 at 11:41 PM
OK.I really dont want a mansion or anything like that,but I would like to be able to have people over at my house or maybe just be able to mave around a bit.But with some of these houses you cant do that.Im not against eco friendly and all,but I dont understand why you would want to love like this.
These should be cheap options for people who dont have homes,but I wouldnt do this if I had an option.
D.Kent
Jul 18 2010 at 7:12 PM
People forget the big bilding has Open space that is not outside build a few tiny homes in old factories, barns air hangers ect and share in the basic tempratures of shelterd shelter insulate as needed but share heating and other atmosphic needs cutting over all living expences commune living or personal community kiving summular to the way factories and coal mines did but to keep things peaceable make it a coop store returning profits to the members of the conmunity not some big bank buisness
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wanting to skim easy money from residents or some taxing authority that should be limted to excess incomes.
Braulio
Jul 17 2010 at 3:36 PM
I enjoyed this housing designs - but I notice this all are presented out in an area by themselves - not in close proximity to others (with the exception of the Wales house).
These might be nice as a second or vacation home - but I'm trying to imagine raising a family in one - or having rude neighbors sardine-canned in within a few inches.
In a big city environment is this really quality living - or just survival?
But interesting ideas all around....
Cars
Oct 14 2010 at 2:26 PM
Like others, I am quite surprised that none of these were proposed for "inner city" postage stamp or smaller (sub-postage stamp or "micro-stamp"). I can picture one of these houses being built that has a 1 car garage with the entire structure ABOVE the garage. Since a 1 car garage is typically 12x24, that would fit in well with some of the sizes mentioned here and it would be easy to extend it in any of the dimensions if necessary. The "2nd floor" could even have a cantilevered section or some
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such protuberance over top of a ground floor "deck". Or, as I mentioned, simply extend the garage, but I do like the look of overhanging structures!
Frank
Jul 17 2010 at 2:44 PM
In this era of greedy home builders that dictate the style and approach to living I welcome this. Modern surburban tract home are pase. Come on folks think about what you will really use spacially and quit worrying about what your dinner guests are going to think.
Charles
Jul 17 2010 at 2:40 PM
Many of the "crowded" places on Earth are political creations and nothing more. Hong Kong, Bangledesh, Tokyo, most of Japan, and believe it or not Britain. The rest of the world does not have a shortage of living space. This is just another fanciful waste of resources to prove a non-existant point. The dude with the bicycle camper has to use the bathroom somewhere and having masses use "the great outdoors" does nothing but lead to disease such as existed before the 20th century. Granted we in
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the US have spent the past decade building ridiculouis homes that people didn't even use. They were built just to "flip" That housing is now sitting abandoned and unused by the banks who just can't seem to get over the fact that the average US income of just over 40,000 around 80,000 for a couple cannot afford to pay half a million for a home. Traditionaly a home should not cost more than 3 times your gross yearly income and some even say "net" income. This comes to 120,000 for a single income on average and 240,000 for a couple with both working. It is most definately NOT the riduculous prices we saw the past 8 years. Take the housing we already have and rent it out. We don't need crackpot solutions.
EVongvisith
Jul 15 2010 at 6:08 PM
Most of these homes are actually feasible to live in. Perhaps encouraging tiny house building will help ameliorate the housing problem in many areas of the world. A tiny home is better than no home at all.
Bob
Oct 14 2010 at 2:11 PM
These tiny houses are nothing but quirks and nuances. I would like to see a family of four try to live in one. I am thinking of getting one though, as a spare building in my back yard right next to my antenna tower. Great place to setup for amateur radio contesting! I'll put in a water cooler and carry a 5 gallon jug out when I need it. Heat - I'll probably get some cheap baseboard hot water and run it through a solar unit then supplement with electricity (which could be via solar panels perhaps).
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Plus, in this day and age it is quite possible that you will have to be running a business out of your home (we already run 2 of them that way) someday and you need space for that. I know that for one of the businesses I use roughly 700 sq ft but I also have off site storage containers!
While I could be doing with less (currently 3800 including the finished basement), the question is why? I do NOT want to live close to a LOT of other humans. Higher density means higher probability for transmission of disease, pollution, etc, plus everyone tries to tell you what you can do with YOUR property! I love being in the country. I have a well and septic which means NO FEES to any "water company" or "sewer fees". In metropolitan areas those alone can amount to thousands of dollars a year!
bniedem
Aug 18 2012 at 10:10 AM
Thumbs up, Bob! I'm with you; especially on the Radio Shack.
from 9H1U on the Island of Malta (Europe).
Rick
Jul 15 2010 at 8:42 PM
If you are looking for ideas about small homes, take a look at blue water cruising sail boats. We live on a 33 footer that is essentially a 2-bedroom, 1 bath home. It has a kitchen, dining room, living room in addition to that. Of course there is the storage spaces and the engine room too. the widest space is 11 ft 8 inches and our liveable length is about 25 to 28 feet. since the boat is a "double ender" the walls are not straight up and down but are squeezed in at the ends. We've lived aboard for
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several years so it is not just a weekend thing. You could take these ideas to shore and save a lot of space not to mention money. Oh yes. There's wind an solar power used too.
Donyarina
Jul 06 2010 at 12:18 PM
Intresting article, would like to have seen the inside of the houses. I am 5'4" and live with my husband and 2 sons and they all are over 6 feet tall, I would go for a small/medium eco home.
Phred
Oct 14 2010 at 2:15 PM
Don't know how feasible it is, but literally "carve out your niche"... Get the rocks underneath you to be as flat as possible and try to get rocks on at least 2 if not 3 of your outer walls. You won't have any windows, but they have these domes you can put on your roof that channel light via fiber optics to interior spaces. It's FAR better than conventional lighting which you'll still need for night and darker days unfortunately.
Plus, using the earth for your exterior as much as possible will
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GREATLY save on your heating and cooling bills!
I AM envious!
jackie buroker
Aug 17 2010 at 9:20 PM
I am 5'4" too, but want a small house on Guemes Island in the San Juans in Washington State. I have a very rocky lot, high bank water. Want something efficient and need to deal with a very rocky lot.....any recommendations?
yevonne fresquez
Aug 28 2010 at 1:03 AM
yes use the rocks to build your home.It will clean the lot around and use your imagination to build a lovely home.I have seen many alovely home built in this fashion.i am from new mexico.we use everything.rocks,wood sticks.whatever to make homes.you'll be suprised at what you'll come up with.try it!
yevonne fresquez
Aug 28 2010 at 12:57 AM
yes it's quite simple it's money in them there rocks.use them to carve out your home.it will clean up your lot space and make a lovely home.design with your imagination
nice
Jul 06 2010 at 8:37 AM
really very informative and i have'nt seen such simple but clever architecture..:)
Esquiss
Jul 02 2010 at 3:46 PM
I wass really interested in seeing this article. However, I could not get it to come up regardless of where I tried. Any suggestion?
Annie
Jul 05 2010 at 12:24 PM
Here is a list of the homes individually. Your search engine should find them if you're interested:
Front Architects
Tiny Texas Houses
Nano Living System
Britain’s smallest house
Twelve Cubed
Paul Elkins Bike Trailer
Rollit Homes
Toronto's Little House
Micro Compact Homes
Tumbleweed Tiny House Company
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