Tiny homes are a big trend, as Micro Week shows. They are an idea that is more popular with minimalists than with neighborhood associations and zoning boards. Many people are building their own; but, some astute companies are stepping in and building them for people who don't have the time or desire to pull together the tools, materials, and work space.
Port Townsend is the home of GreenPod Development, a builder of healthy houses. Their homes are new construction and built from sustainable and responsible materials, and are built for efficient and healthy living. The style is much more contemporary. They don't look like they've been squeezed onto a trailer or just unloaded from a ship. About the only thing that most folks would notice is their size. The smallest is 302 square feet and the largest is 744 square feet, and even that overlaps with some conventional construction. This is one way to go green, quietly.
↑ Salal is the tiniest of their houses, though at 302 square feet it's larger than many Tiny Homes. For $60,000 you get a studio with a door on the long side, which provides an opportunity for a deck.
↑ Lopez is only a bit bigger, but at 372 square feet it has enough room on the floor plan for things like bedroom and kitchen. The surprise is that the price starts at the same $60,000 but the house has dormers, more doors, and more windows - more, for not much more.
↑ Port Townsend works from 420 square feet and $85,000; for which you get a porch with a roof, a bedroom that may actually be its own room, and a bathroom that may actually have a bathtub.
↑ Lummi starts at $85,000 and has 553 square feet, and a floor plan that works with entrances along the long sides instead of the ends. When you're building tiny inside, building extra space outside makes a lot of sense.
↑ Bainbridge gets rid of the peaked roof and uses opposing shed roofs to cover the 630 square feet. The low end price is $85,000 but if you want to go really green they'll ask for a lot of green: $165,000. That's getting up to tiny conventional cottage numbers in the suburbs.
↑ Ludlow has a shed roof as well, and it has grown out to 731 square feet and a green $95,000. There's noticeably more loft to the ceiling, which is handy in small spaces.
↑ Langley has a flat roof, which must either be very well sealed, or well-suited for dry sites. A flat roof makes it easier to extend the interior space (731 square feet again) to the outside because of the possible rooftop deck. Langley is one of the greener options and starts at $150,000.
↑ Orcas goes the opposite direction from the rest, at least as far as the roof is concerned. It is a barrel roof over 744 square feet and $175,000. Why look like everyone else? Be different!
· GreenPod Development [GPD]
· All Tiny Homes coverage [CS]
Written by Tom Trimbath (whose house is an enormous 864 sq ft)