Tiny Houses

Students create solar-powered tiny house

Students create solar-powered tiny house
The unnamed home is very basic, and is perhaps better thought of as a shelter or retreat in its current guise, rather than a fully-featured tiny house
The unnamed home is very basic, and is perhaps better thought of as a shelter or retreat in its current guise, rather than a fully-featured tiny house
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Berkeley, CA high school students have produced a solar-powered tiny house
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Berkeley, CA high school students have produced a solar-powered tiny house
The unnamed home is very basic, and is perhaps better thought of as a shelter or retreat in its current guise, rather than a fully-featured tiny house
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The unnamed home is very basic, and is perhaps better thought of as a shelter or retreat in its current guise, rather than a fully-featured tiny house
Painted palette wood was used as siding
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Painted palette wood was used as siding
The students actually created two identical tiny houses at the same time
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The students actually created two identical tiny houses at the same time
The interior of the shelter is open-plan and finished in white-painted drywall
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The interior of the shelter is open-plan and finished in white-painted drywall
The interior includes a small cabinet and a bed with storage space underneath
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The interior includes a small cabinet and a bed with storage space underneath
Studio H teaches engineering, architecture and design skills to a growing number of young people each year
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Studio H teaches engineering, architecture and design skills to a growing number of young people each year
The tiny house was created by REALM Charter High School students working under the watchful eye of experienced architects and builders
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The tiny house was created by REALM Charter High School students working under the watchful eye of experienced architects and builders
The towable dwelling sits on a 2 x 4.87 m (7 x 16 ft) trailer and weighs around 2,721 kg (6,000 lb)
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The towable dwelling sits on a 2 x 4.87 m (7 x 16 ft) trailer and weighs around 2,721 kg (6,000 lb)
Insulation comes in the form of donated Thermafiber
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Insulation comes in the form of donated Thermafiber
Berkeley high school students have produced a solar-powered tiny house
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Berkeley high school students have produced a solar-powered tiny house
There's OSB (oriented strand board) flooring, which has been stained black, and insulation comes in the form of donated Thermafiber
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There's OSB (oriented strand board) flooring, which has been stained black, and insulation comes in the form of donated Thermafiber
Studio H teaches engineering, architecture and design skills to a growing number of young people each year
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Studio H teaches engineering, architecture and design skills to a growing number of young people each year
The tiny house was brought into being by REALM Charter High School students working under the stewardship of architects and builders
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The tiny house was brought into being by REALM Charter High School students working under the stewardship of architects and builders
Insulation comes in the form of donated Thermafiber
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Insulation comes in the form of donated Thermafiber
View gallery - 15 images

For many of us, making something during an extracurricular high school activity probably involved bringing home a papier-mâché head or wonky flower pot to proud parents, but Berkeley, CA high school students constructed a solar-powered tiny house. The unnamed dwelling measures just 9.2 sq m (100 sq ft) and includes a small sleeping and storage area.

The tiny house was created by REALM Charter High School students working under the watchful eye of experienced architects and builders, as part of a youth program by non-profit organization Studio H, which works with kids to teach design, engineering, and architecture skills.

The towable dwelling sits on a 2 x 4.87 m (7 x 16 ft) trailer and weighs around 2,721 kg (6,000 lb). It's very basic, and is perhaps better thought of as a shelter or retreat in its current guise, rather than a fully-featured tiny house, though it shouldn't take too much work to get it to that point.

The towable dwelling sits on a 2 x 4.87 m (7 x 16 ft) trailer and weighs around 2,721 kg (6,000 lb)
The towable dwelling sits on a 2 x 4.87 m (7 x 16 ft) trailer and weighs around 2,721 kg (6,000 lb)

The interior comprises one space finished in white-painted drywall, with just a small cabinet and a bed with storage space underneath. Though it doesn't sport any electrical or water hookup (nor toilet), it does have solar power in the form of four 250 W panels, and an inverter for low-power devices. There's OSB (oriented strand board) flooring, which has been stained black, and insulation comes in the form of donated Thermafiber. Painted palette wood was used as siding.

The students actually created two identical tiny homes at the same time. Its counterpart was donated to a Eugene, Oregon-based community that provides transitional housing for homeless people. This one is currently up for sale on eBay, with the eventual proceeds going toward funding Studio H's program next year.

Source: Studio H

View gallery - 15 images
3 comments
3 comments
Rann Xeroxx
Why are these called "Tiny Houses"? They are travel trailers and have been around since the car at the turn of the century, nothing new.
Keith Reeder
They're actually "caravans", and they've been around in Europe since hundreds of years before the car, but aside from that, correct.
Nik
It would be a lot cheaper to build, without the trailer, which would allow more cash for interior work, and more useful experience for the student constructors. It could be designed to include lifting points so it could be transported like a container to any semi-permanent location, partly or fully equipped. Alternatively it could be made to be loaded by forklift. Also, two complimentary units could be constructed, where one contains kitchen and shower/wc while the other provides lounge/bedroom with fold away tables and benches and fold up bunk beds. This could also provide 'water works' and electrical work experience. As a mobile device, it is excessively heavy and the aerodynamics would be horrendous. Studying the old 'gypsy caravans' would be a useful exercise, as they were the original complete mobile home, if you can find one, as they must be very rare now. Museum visits perhaps?