Very Efficient Tiny House

Most efficient tiny house

When deciding to build our little home I began to reflect on the deficiencies I have observed in my years of restoring other trailers, Airstream's,and larger homes,and tried to incorporate the things I find pleasing in a living space such as light, space, comfort and efficiency, and always seemed conspicuous by their absence in most all tiny spaces.

I enjoy floor to ceiling windows, without which it begins to feel a bit claustrophobic in little home. Therefore I have placed. A 9'x8' bay of floor to ceiling glass directly in front of the sofa sleeper we will place in the home. Also I prefer at least a queen bed with great comfort which has been accomplished here with the addition of our Pietro Arosio sleeper which, although a bit pricey at around 4K, fit the bill wonderfullly and due to its lightweight aluminum frame on wheels that pushes out of the way easily for creating a "great room" for yoga, etc. Normally it  faces the floor to ceiling glass wall.

Also for real cooking, I feel the remarkable power and efficiency of an induction cooktop is essential as most small units lack the power for serious culinary adventures. Our is a 220volt which boils water in seconds.

I do not like cramped showers or bathrooms so have built a spacious 4' shower in our generous bathroom with on demand water heating. For sustainability down the road all the bathroom walls are brushed aluminum both waterproof and handsome.

Insulation and a tight structure along with well thought out ventilation and efficiect Hvac are actually more important than many people realize. For example in my airstream, as soon as the sun strikes it, it begins to heat up to an intolerable degree and the noisy AC in Rv is equally intolerable. Our home started out as a refrigerated truck and has 5 inches of highly compessed spray foam in the floor and ceiling along with 3" in the walls. Although in Az. ,The trailer remains remarkably cool and stable as there is a croosbreeze from the windows  placed strategically on all four sides in a direct line. When needed  we have a Very quiet and efficient Fujitsu minsplit with heat pump that uses the equivalent of 3 light bulbs ( 300 watts)to maintain the comfort after cool down. For strength and sustainability I finally concluded that a steel structure with aluminum sides is quite superior to wood framing. Most older trailers I've seen are either rotted or have vibrated themselves apart due to the rigors if the road.

Please feel free to contact me with questions or if you'd like more photos or a video.

Best ,  Doug  tel 602-332-5064