Prefab homebuilder GreenPod Development, based in Port Townsend, Washington, makes cozy tiny homes, which are factory made and can be constructed in just six weeks. One of these is their Waterhaus model, which would make a great vacation cabin, or even a full-time home.
The home measures 450 sq ft, and is made from structural insulated panels (SIPs). These are all pre-cut in the factory, and are then used to build the home on site in just a few days. SIPs are more expensive than wood framing, but they have the benefit of reducing thermal transmission, since they create smaller insulation gaps, are straighter and stronger.
Waterhaus also has transom and corner windows placed in a way that maximizes the amount of natural daylight entering the house, but they still offer the occupants privacy. Each home also comes with customized passive solar design and orientation, which depends on the site where the home will stand.
The interior of the home features minimalistic furnishings, yet still looks very cozy. To maximize the available space, they furnished it with multi purpose pieces that can also be stacked one on top of another.
The home is also equipped with low-flow fixtures. The paints and finishes used are also all chemical-free, such as clay wall finishes to avoid VOC-emitting paint, and fabrics made using organic and naturally antimicrobial plant fibers which resist mold and mildew.
They also cleverly increased energy efficiency by including so-called “kill switches” which are able to stop power from flowing to specific switches. This works to eliminate the so-called “phantom loads” and reduces “electrical smog”.
The DIY basic version of this home can be purchased for $65,000 and includes just the shell. The fully-equipped version costs $135,000. In addition to prefab homes, GreenPod also builds custom made homes.
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