Tiny Houses

Piwakawaka tiny house puts small living on the level

Piwakawaka tiny house puts small living on the level
The Piwakawaka has a total length of just 9 m (29 ft) and its interior is arranged all on one level
The Piwakawaka has a total length of just 9 m (29 ft) and its interior is arranged all on one level
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The Piwakawaka has a total length of just 9 m (29 ft) and its interior is arranged all on one level
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The Piwakawaka has a total length of just 9 m (29 ft) and its interior is arranged all on one level
The Piwakawaka's exterior is finished in vinyl and cedar
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The Piwakawaka's exterior is finished in vinyl and cedar
Visitors enter the Piwakawaka through double glass doors into a small living area
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Visitors enter the Piwakawaka through double glass doors into a small living area
The Piwakawaka is heated with a small wood-burning stove
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The Piwakawaka is heated with a small wood-burning stove
The Piwakawaka's kitchen is quite well-stocked for a compact tiny house and it even includes a small dishwasher
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The Piwakawaka's kitchen is quite well-stocked for a compact tiny house and it even includes a small dishwasher
The Piwakawaka's bathroom contains a shower, sink, and toilet
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The Piwakawaka's bathroom contains a shower, sink, and toilet
The Piwakawaka's bathroom makes room for a washer/dryer
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The Piwakawaka's bathroom makes room for a washer/dryer
The Piwakawaka's toilet is a composting model to allow for future off-the-grid living
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The Piwakawaka's toilet is a composting model to allow for future off-the-grid living
The Piwakawaka's bedroom opens up to the outside with double glass doors
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The Piwakawaka's bedroom opens up to the outside with double glass doors
The Piwakawaka's kitchen includes a sink, fridge/freezer, and cabinetry
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The Piwakawaka's kitchen includes a sink, fridge/freezer, and cabinetry
The Piwakawaka's kitchen includes a two-burner propane-powered stove and an oven
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The Piwakawaka's kitchen includes a two-burner propane-powered stove and an oven
The Piwakawaka's interior is finished in poplar core plywood
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The Piwakawaka's interior is finished in poplar core plywood
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Back in 2020, New Zealand's Build Tiny designed a tiny house named the Dark Horse. The firm has now used that model as a starting point for another tiny house that's arranged on one level. It features a well-stocked kitchen and a bedroom and living room that open up to the outside with double glass doors.

This tiny house is named the Piwakawaka and has a total length of 9 m (29 ft), which is on the money for New Zealand tiny houses, but quite short compared to many US examples. It's based on a double-axle trailer and is finished in vinyl and cedar. Visitors access the interior through the glass doors and the light-filled interior is finished in poplar core plywood. The living area itself is pretty small and has some seating and shelving, plus a wood-burning stove that heats the home.

The Piwakawaka's bedroom opens up to the outside with double glass doors
The Piwakawaka's bedroom opens up to the outside with double glass doors

Nearby, just to the right of the living room as you enter, is the bedroom. This has generous glazing and, like the living room, opens up to the outside. Additionally, there's plenty of headroom to stand upright – always a nice feature to have in a tiny house – plus it contains some storage space (though perhaps a storage-integrated bed would have been a good addition too).

Over on the other side of the living room is the kitchen area. This is quite well-stocked for a compact tiny house and includes a large bifold window, a breakfast bar for two, cabinetry, a two-burner propane-powered stove, an oven, a microwave, a pull-out pantry, a sink, a fridge/freezer, and even a small dishwasher. The kitchen connects to the bathroom, which contains a sink, shower, and composting toilet, as well as some extra storage space and a washer/dryer.

Visitors enter the Piwakawaka through double glass doors into a small living area
Visitors enter the Piwakawaka through double glass doors into a small living area

The Piwakawaka gets power from a standard RV-style hookup, but has also been wired ready to accept a solar panel installation at some point in the future. The home was delivered as a turnkey build, ready to move in, including furniture. We've no word on the price of this one, though the similar Dark Horse cost NZD 155,000 (roughly US$80,000).

Source: Build Tiny

View gallery - 12 images
4 comments
4 comments
wolf0579
Why do you keep pushing these? There isn't a county or township in the US that allows them because they do not meet the code standards of living space.
DavidB
@wolf0579: Perhaps it’s because New Atlas isn’t a US-based e-zine.

It’s a big ol’ world, man. Too many Americans forget the fact that the Earth doesn’t end at their country’s borders. (It’s not flat, either.)
Mark Windsor
Piwakawaka (Pee waka waka) is the Maori name for New Zealand's delightful little fantail bird.
Mark Windsor
DavidB - Nice one!
Even if the USA doesn't allow these sorts of houses yet, promoting them on sites like this is one of the many ways that regulations will be forced to change.