A lot of people rely on coffee to make it through the day, but this is the first time we've seen a tiny house that needs its own supply of java. Luxury tiny house builder New Frontier Tiny Homes has teamed up with Dunkin' Donuts, actress Olivia Wilde and a sustainable biochemical company to produce the unique promotional project.
Bringing to mind the coffee-powered car, the Home That Runs on Dunkin' consists of a very well made but essentially standard tiny house that runs from a biofuel generator fueled by a coffee ground compound. It's not just a case of pouring a cup of joe into the generator: refining the coffee grounds into fuel is a complex process tackled by a firm called Blue Marble Biomaterials. In all, it takes around 170 lb (77 kg) of used coffee grounds to produce just one gallon (3.7 l) of fuel.
"There can be natural oils left in spent coffee grounds, all depending on the coffee bean type and original processing methods," explains a press release. "These oils are then mixed with an alcohol to undergo a chemical reaction known as transesterification. This produces biodiesel and glycerin as a byproduct. The biodiesel is washed and refined to create the final product."
The tiny house itself appears to be based on New Frontier Tiny Homes' Escher model and is clad in black stained cedar wood and weathered steel panels. The exterior also sports a cedar porch.
The interior of the home was decorated with input from Wilde and has a high-end finish that includes subway tiles, slate countertops and solid walnut flooring. It measures 275 sq ft (25 sq m) and is dominated by a main living area that opens up to the porch with a garage-style lifting door. The nearby kitchen is large for a tiny house and features a full-size fridge, oven, and a small dishwasher – as well as a coffee machine, of course.
The sleeping loft is reached by ladder and contains a king-size bed. Elsewhere lies a small "coffee nook" with two seats and a dining table, as well as a bathroom that boasts a spa tub/shower, a washer/dryer, sink, and composting toilet.
Check out the video below for more information on the project.
Sources: Dunkin' Donuts, New Frontier Tiny Homes