Bother & Sister team, Tracey & Trever Powell, built this tiny house as a showcase of technology and energy efficiency. Tracey is a long-time associate member of Boston Society of Architects and Trever is a commercial electrician.
The entire house is only 150 square feet, or about half the size of a hotel room. Tracey Powell plans to use it as a 2nd residence and live in it about 50 weeks out of the year. They’ll be showing it at the ABX Show 2015 in November at the Boston Convention Center.
You can follow the Lil’Lodge on Facebook and learn more about the house here.
I am glad to see some publicity on a tiny house that uses light gauge metal framing rather than the wood butcher’s standby green wood.
It seems that so many tiny house builders and the DIY crowd never think past wood when they design and build their unit.
More people should consider metal framing for their projects because it has so many positive characteristics.
Unlike wood framing, metal studs and joists contain no moisture, they don’t rot, they are not infected with black mold spores, they don’t twist and warp as they dry, and they don’t burn.
Metal members are fast to install and tend to result in a straight and plumb finished product. As the photos of this project show, the factory punched holes are very convenient for running all manner of utility lines and electric lines within; floor, wall and roof framing.
Light gauge metal framing should also provide a lighter weight end product and that has to be a big plus for those who plan to have a tiny house that is designed to move down the highway and outback roads.
Give metal framing some serious consideration on your first or next tiny house project.
AVD
I could not agree more about metal studs versus wood. If you want the wood look, finish the inside or outside with it but the metal studs will work awesome and keep the weight down for sure. If I ever build one, that is how I will do it and use spray foam insulation too.
Absolutely love this! Clean lines, modern, awesome colors. Our Tiny is very different but I’m sort of eclectic like that. Great job!
– Kim
how much
Would love to see the sleeping area and bathroom. Nicely done. Quite beautiful.
yep the steel looks ok and has some advantages, but it has poor insulation properties, is not easy to work with for those not used to it and is very carbon intensive – so this is NOT an ‘eco’ building on that basis alone.
If a wooden framed and clad building is designed, flashed and built according to well established detail, there is no problem with longevity….
Cheers, from ‘a forester’ and one whose primary concern is that we need to look at every available means to sequester and reduce our carbon emissions or most of humanity will not be here in 200 years; plus most of the other large species on this planet
I’m really loving’ the clean lines and minimalist style of this tiny house. The metal framing is awesome and I’d like to see more tiny houses built this way. I’d swap out the entry porch in exchange for the extra space, but that’s just a personal thing and detracts nothing from the overall design. Love how the television is mounted up and is flush with the cabinetry. The linear format of the kitchen, etc. is brilliant. And so cheerful inside! Job well done and thanks so much for sharing. Most inspiring!
I love this idea of using metal framing cost wise is less or more expensive? I want to start building my own suggestions on were to get plans?
It’s an interesting design, definitely functional but I would go absolutely insane with the lack of view windows. It’s much too fortress like for me. If I understand the floor plan on the Facebook page correctly there are only the tiny windows along the top, the French door and a window in the other end wall. The sitting area faces a large TV, not a window. This arrangement makes sense for privacy in an urban environment, less so if you actually have a view. I like storage but this is a bit like being in a large closet. Some larger windows would go a long way to counteract that. It also has the long lineup of built ins on either side with a narrow walkway emulating RV layouts that I’m not fond of.
Yea, how much? I want to redraw a few plans into a slightly bigger design. And was wondering how much the build cost is with-out the wheel frame thing of course.
Actually how many sq. ft. is that design?
You stated that exceptionally well!