Tiny Houses

Winter-ready tiny house trades freedom to roam for more living space

Winter-ready tiny house trades freedom to roam for more living space
The Thuya cost CAD 118,500 (roughly US$90,000)
The Thuya cost CAD 118,500 (roughly US$90,000)
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The Thuya cost CAD 118,500 (roughly US$90,000)
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The Thuya cost CAD 118,500 (roughly US$90,000)
The Thuya is finished in cedar, both left natural and treated using the Japanese Shou Sugi Ban method of charring wood to protect and preserve it
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The Thuya is finished in cedar, both left natural and treated using the Japanese Shou Sugi Ban method of charring wood to protect and preserve it
The Thuya includes a roof-based fan and a mini-split air-conditioning system
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The Thuya includes a roof-based fan and a mini-split air-conditioning system
The interior of the Thuya measures 315 sq ft (29 sq m)
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The interior of the Thuya measures 315 sq ft (29 sq m)
The Thuya features a storage-integrated staircase
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The Thuya features a storage-integrated staircase
The Thuya's bottom step is on rails and can be stowed away to maximize space
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The Thuya's bottom step is on rails and can be stowed away to maximize space
The Thuya's kitchen connects to the bathroom using a small sliding door
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The Thuya's kitchen connects to the bathroom using a small sliding door
The Thuya includes an oven but no cooktop as the owners pl
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The Thuya includes an oven but no cooktop as the owners plan to install their own
The Thuya's bathroom includes a washing machine and a dryer
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The Thuya's bathroom includes a washing machine and a dryer
The Thuya's bathroom has a shower, sink, and a flushing toilet
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The Thuya's bathroom has a shower, sink, and a flushing toilet
The Thuya's flushing toilet and sink
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The Thuya's flushing toilet and sink
The Thuya's bathroom has a large cabinet for the hot water heater, which has a space below for cat litter
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The Thuya's bathroom has a large cabinet for the hot water heater, which has a space below for cat litter
The Thuya includes a spacious shower with a colorful backsplash
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The Thuya includes a spacious shower with a colorful backsplash
View towards the Thuya's living room from the bathroom
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View towards the Thuya's living room from the bathroom
The Thuya's kitchen is spacious and has lots of storage space, for a tiny house
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The Thuya's kitchen is spacious and has lots of storage space, for a tiny house
The Thuya's bedroom is a typical tiny house-style loft bedroom with a low ceiling
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The Thuya's bedroom is a typical tiny house-style loft bedroom with a low ceiling
The Thuya's bedroom includes some storage space
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The Thuya's bedroom includes some storage space
The Thuya's living room includes a large L-shaped sofa bed
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The Thuya's living room includes a large L-shaped sofa bed
View gallery - 18 images

Canadian firm Minimaliste recently completed another of its cold weather-ready tiny houses. Named the Thuya, the towable home is an extra-wide model, which means it offers a relatively spacious interior, but at the expense of requiring a permit to tow it on the road.

The Thuya is based on a triple-axle trailer and finished in cedar, both left natural and treated using the Japanese Shou Sugi Ban method of charring wood to protect and preserve it. It was built using SIPs (structural insulated panels) and has a high level of airtightness, meaning it requires little energy to maintain a steady interior temperature.

The home measures 30 ft (9.1 m) long and 10.5 ft (3.2 m) wide, which is over the standard towing width of 8.5 ft (2.5 m) and is why it requires a permit.

The Thuya's living room includes a large L-shaped sofa bed
The Thuya's living room includes a large L-shaped sofa bed

Visitors to the 315-sq-ft (29-sq-m) home enter into the living room, which is dominated by a large L-shaped sofa bed that faces the wall, where a TV will be installed. The sofa is flanked by large windows and there's also a mini-split air-conditioning unit installed that serves as the home's primary heating system.

The kitchen is nearby. This has a relatively large countertop with two-person breakfast bar, a fridge/freezer, oven (the owners will install their own cooktop), and a sink. There's quite a bit of storage space available too.

A sliding door connects the kitchen to the bathroom, which contains a separate washing machine and dryer, a flushing toilet, shower, and a sink.

The interior of the Thuya measures 315 sq ft (29 sq m)
The interior of the Thuya measures 315 sq ft (29 sq m)

There's just one bedroom in the Thuya and it's reached by the ubiquitous storage-integrated staircase, which sports oak steps and handrail. The bedroom itself is a standard tiny house-style loft bedroom with a low ceiling and has enough space for a king-sized bed, plus some storage units. It also has two windows, one of which is operable and meant to be used as an emergency exit.

The Thuya cost CAD 118,500 (roughly US$90,000) and has been delivered to a couple living on an island off the coast of British Columbia, Canada.

Source: Minimaliste

View gallery - 18 images
3 comments
3 comments
paul314
So is it subject to house codes, or just too big to be towed without special paperwork? It looks very comfortable for people who don't entertain much and watch a lot of TV (that shrine/niche looks so sad unfilled).
Steve gotniven
Sigh, more tiny house silliness. This is an rv, or a trailer. I dunno about the laws in canada, but in the USA i know of no place one may permanently park and live in a trailer, even if one owns the land.
Marlene
Very nice tiny house. Love the spacious bedroom. Nicely laid out, the bathroom is amazing... having a washer/dryer unit is a bonus as well as the flushing toilet. I would love to have this house!