NewZealand-based and family run studio Tiny House Builders hasrecently launched its impressive and sophisticated Pohutukawa tinyhouse on wheels. Pushing the boundaries of what we're used to seeingin a tiny house, the Pohutukawa home has been designed to accommodateupto six people;a big moveconsidering most tinyhouses only accommodate two to four guests. Furthermore,the home has been created to offer comfortableand practicalpermanent living,with a strong focus on creating fluidity between the interior spacesand outdoor living.
"Afterhours of researching different floor plans, styles and towing ruleshere in New Zealand, I couldn't find anything that suited ourindoor-outdoor lifestyle better than the now Pohutukawa layout,"RebeccaBartlett,ManagingDirector at Tiny House Builders tells New Atlas.
Bartlettchose to create the original Pohutukawatinyhouse on wheels as an investment to place on her block of land and rent out, creating additional income while on maternityleave. The design also meant that the home could be moved directlyonto her site without disruption to the existing connections, while avoiding the additional costs of architects, engineers, surveyors andconsent fees. Furthermore, the Pohutukawatinyhouse can be moved and instantly transformed into a family holidayhome down the track with minimal cost.
"Wewere planning to have another maternity leave period with reducedincome so were looking at alternative revenue streams," saysBartlett."We looked at building a 60-sq m[646-sq ft]unit, however, the rent we would get in return for the cost of buildingmeant it was not a viable option. It was going to be thousands ofdollars for service connections, architects, upgrading the existinghouse connections, Geotech report, etc. Sowe started looking at alternative options. We looked at house buses,caravans, cabins, etc., and then discovered tiny houses. We wanted tocreate good income off it, so wanted it to feel like a home, nottemporary accommodation andthe3.5-m [11.48-ft]ceiling height certainly does not feel like a caravan."
ThePohutukawa tiny house is built on a flat deck custom designedtrailer, eliminating the need to build around wheel arches andoffering an economical permanent housing solution. The home measures 3 m (9.84 ft) wide, 7.5 m (24.6 ft) long and 4.2 m(13.78 ft) high, boasting an overall interior space of 33 sq m (355 sqft), including the two mezzanine lofts.
"Webuilt the home on a separable trailer as the towing weight in NewZealand is light at 3.5 ton, and the 3-m-wide (9.84-ft) doubleloft homes are too heavy," says Bartlett. "It is more of apermanent solution rather than a smaller tiny house that would bemoved more frequently."
Builtusing timber framing, steel mid-floor and ceiling frames, to achievea greater head height in the mezzanines, the interior of the home islined with 9-mm (0.35-in) ply. Polystyrene from industrial waste isused for insulation underfloor, and the walls and ceilings areinsulated with Earthwool. The home is clad with ply board and pinebattens, and finished with a Resene Cool color paint, chosen for itsreflective properties that help protect the timber from the elementsand keep the house cooler, especially important considering its darkcolor.
"Ourwindows are all double-glazed and both panes are toughened forsafety, insulation and to become road safe," addsBartlett."Transporting a tiny house is like subjecting your home to anearthquake and a hurricane at the same time, so they need to be builtstrong!"
ThePohutukawa design includesan open living space witha custom-made commercial-grade fold-out sofa bed with storage underthe other two sections of the sofa;dining/office zone; full kitchen complete with dishwasher,oven/microwave, stove top, range hood, sink, fridge/freezer, overheadand under bench cupboards and drawers, and pantry; storage area; twoelevated mezzanines;European laundry; and a bathroom featuring a 900 × 900 mm (35x 35 in)shower, vanity, toilet and heated towel rack.
Themaster mezzanine featuresa queen-size bed and easy access stairs. The loftboastsstanding height dimensions,makingit feelspacious and easy to get inand out ofbed without having to crawl into the space. Thesecond mezzaninecanbe used as an additional twin bedroom for the kids or as a quietretreat.
Inaddition, the home includes rainwater collection, composting toiletand ceilingfansto create airflow throughout the home.
Eachof TinyHouse Builders' homesare client specific and customizeable, however, for a fully completedPohutukawa Tiny House, the price will typically set you back around NZ$130,000 (US$88,200).
"Weare currently building our new Pohutukawa show home, which will becomplete in the next month or so," saysBartlett."It has an increased mezzanine size to suit 2 x single beds withspace in between, making the overall home 3 x 8 m [9.84x 26 ft], withmore room in the bathroom and laundry. We have included some superexciting design features and can't wait to release it."
Sourc: Tiny House Builders via Inhabitat
