Tiny Houses

Off-grid tiny house is well-suited for home and away

Off-grid tiny house is well-suited for home and away
The First Light Tiny House, by Build Tiny, is one of our favorite tiny houses of 2019
The First Light Tiny House, by Build Tiny, is one of our favorite tiny houses of 2019
View 17 Images
The First Light Tiny House, by Build Tiny, is one of our favorite tiny houses of 2019
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The First Light Tiny House, by Build Tiny, is one of our favorite tiny houses of 2019
The First Light Tiny House is clad in corrugated steel
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The First Light Tiny House is clad in corrugated steel
The First Light Tiny House's kitchen features a small folding table
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The First Light Tiny House's kitchen features a small folding table 
The First Light Tiny House has generous glazing and looks quite light-filled inside
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The First Light Tiny House has generous glazing and looks quite light-filled inside 
The First Light Tiny House is light-filled and relatively spacious
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The First Light Tiny House is light-filled and relatively spacious
The First Light Tiny House's kitchen includes a large counter finished in stainless steel
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The First Light Tiny House's kitchen includes a large counter finished in stainless steel
The First Light Tiny House's storage-integrated staircase includes a small nook
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The First Light Tiny House's storage-integrated staircase includes a small nook 
The First Light Tiny House's bedroom has a queen-sized bed
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The First Light Tiny House's bedroom has a queen-sized bed 
The First Light Tiny House's bedroom is topped by a skylight
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The First Light Tiny House's bedroom is topped by a skylight
The First Light Tiny House has one bedroom, which is accessed by storage-integrated staircase
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The First Light Tiny House has one bedroom, which is accessed by storage-integrated staircase
View of the First Light Tiny House's storage integrated staircase
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View of the First Light Tiny House's storage integrated staircase 
The First Light Tiny House has a small bathroom
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The First Light Tiny House has a small bathroom 
The First Light Tiny House's bathroom includes a sink, shower, and composting toilet
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The First Light Tiny House's bathroom includes a sink, shower, and composting toilet 
The First Light Tiny House bathroom includes vanity unit, shower, and composting toilet
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The First Light Tiny House bathroom includes vanity unit, shower, and composting toilet
The First Light Tiny House measures 7.2-m (23 ft)-long
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The First Light Tiny House measures 7.2-m (23 ft)-long
The First Light Tiny House is based on a double-axle trailer
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The First Light Tiny House is based on a double-axle trailer 
The First Light Tiny House came in at roughly NZD 150,000
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The First Light Tiny House came in at roughly NZD 150,000
View gallery - 17 images

Build Tiny's latest model was created in collaboration with architecture firm First Light Studio. With its detachable trailer and ability to run either on or off-the-grid as required, the tiny house is well-suited to both life on the road and being parked permanently.

The First Light Tiny House is based on a double-axle detachable trailer like Escape's Vista C (the house sits on a base that can in turn be attached to the trailer) and measures 7.2-m (23 ft)-long. It consists of a steel frame and corrugated steel exterior, painted black. The build process was different to previous models by the firm, owing to the design being handled by First Light Studio.

"This project came about slightly differently than our normal build process," explains Build Tiny. "This client had been dreaming of building her own tiny house for close to four years before she took the plunge and hired award-winning architecture firm First Light Studio to design her dream tiny house. They worked together to come up with the concept design and then a year or so later, approached us to help bring the project to reality."

The First Light Tiny House is light-filled and relatively spacious
The First Light Tiny House is light-filled and relatively spacious

Visitors enter the tiny house through double doors into the living room. The interior is finished in poplar and birch plywood and boasts generous glazing. The living room itself features a sofa with integrated storage space that's on wheels. There's quite a lot of storage space elsewhere in the room too, including a cupboard and overhead storage.

Nearby is the kitchen. This has a 3-m (9.8 ft)-long stainless steel countertop that extends slightly with a small folding table. The kitchen features a mini-fridge, lots of storage space, a small oven, two-burner propane-powered stove, and a wine rack. The area connects to the bathroom, which has a small custom vanity unit, composting toilet and a shower.

There's just one bedroom in the First Light Tiny House, which is accessed by a storage-integrated staircase that has a little nook with a table and a space for a washing machine. The bedroom is a typical tiny house style loft bedroom with a queen-sized bed and is topped by a skylight.

The First Light Tiny House's kitchen includes a large counter finished in stainless steel
The First Light Tiny House's kitchen includes a large counter finished in stainless steel

The First Light Tiny House gets power either from a standard RV-style hookup or a roof-based solar panel array. This is connected to an inverter and batteries.

The total cost for this one came in at roughly NZD 150,000 (about US$100,000), including the off-grid system.

Source: Build Tiny

View gallery - 17 images
2 comments
2 comments
Jeff Vandervort
So roughly about $550.00 a square foot under the roof? That's quite a house!
CAVUMark
Yeah, tiny house, big price. Time to get real.