"Essential Systems Pod" (ESP) Could Transform Other Buildings Into Homes

ESP floor plan

The ESP is a concept in development that could inexpensively simplify and speed-up the process of turning buildings such as barns, sheds, or garages into livable homes.  It could also be used to improve the lives of people living in substandard housing situations.  The ESP (Essential Systems Pod) is an 8'x20' high cube steel shipping container that would be fully insulated, and its interior would be completely finished with full kitchen, bathroom, and laundry facilities.  

Exterior

Why do this in a shipping container? Because they are inexpensive, readily available, and easily transported.  In certain communities, the ESP module could be freestanding and shared by two or more families.  Even that would be a huge upgrade to living conditions in many parts of the word.  To do that, the plan would be adjusted so that the bathroom and laundry each had separate entrance doors from the outside, and doors would be added to the kitchen entry.  By eliminating the passageway between the kitchen and bathroom, the kitchen could take on a U-shape, allowing increased storage and counter space.  Using this initial plan as a nucleus, all these adjustments would be simple to do.

ESP cross-section through kitchen

The kitchen would have a two bowl stainless steel sink, dishwasher, refrigerator, range, pantry, base cabinets, counter-top, wall cabinets, and range hood.  It would be fully wired and have outlets, switches, and lighting.  All appliances would be standard sized and the layout would be highly functional.  The design also includes lots of awning windows for natural ventilation, daylight, and views.

ESP cross-section through bathroom and kitchen

The bathroom has a standard full-sized tub/shower combination, a water conserving dual flush toilet, a 36" vanity, a linen closet, and a full-sized stacked washer/dryer.  The linen closet could be home to a tankless water heater to provide unlimited on-demand hot water for the bathroom, laundry, and kitchen.  Alternatively, a small water heater could be located in a kitchen base cabinet or in the bathroom vanity.

As I mentioned, the ESP module could be attached to an existing building, like a freestanding garage for example, to transform it into livable space.  The modules could be prefabricated so that they could be inexpensive and easily shipped just about anywhere either individually or in quantity.  In many locations they could be used to improve the quality of the housing stock considerably.  The units could either add functions the housing doesn't already have, or upgrade and replace it so that space in the existing building could function better for living, dining, and sleeping.

When attaching it to another building I think it makes sense to do so with a short corridor.  This would allow air circulation between the existing building and the new module to avoid moisture build-up and rot. It would also allow any doors and windows on the existing building to remain functional.

I made the video below to more fully explain the ESP module concept, and show it in a variety of situations.  If you enjoy the video, please "like" it on YouTube, share it and comment.

  

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8x40 Shipping Container Home Design

I've designed and drawn-up my first 8' x 40' steel shipping container home plans.  It's a 320 sq. ft. tiny home design.  While it is specifically designed for a shipping container, there is no reason it couldn't be a stick-built tiny home plan as well.  In fact, if you did that you could put on a gable, gambrel, or shed roof to get some extra storage or sleeping loft space too.

View from the kitchen looking toward the great room.

By definition, a 320 sq. ft. home is pretty modest, but I tried to make it a livable plan with a sensible layout, reasonable amenities, and lots glass for daylight and outside views.  It's not a palace, but I think it's nice for its size.  As you'll notice in the plan, it has a linear layout with a bedroom at one end, a bathroom at the other end, and a great room and kitchen in between..  This could be a guest house, granny flat, in-law apartment, ADU, backyard rental unit, vacation home, or full-time residence.

Exterior including back

Exterior including front

Floor plan for 8' x 40' shipping container home.

 The great room has a dining area, living area, propane fireplace (suitable for heating the entire home when needed), triple patio doors on one side and triple awning windows on the other.  This space would have plenty of natural daylight, even on overcast days.

Great room

View from great room toward kitchen.

The bedroom has enough room for a queen sized bed, bedside table, and a large armoire.  I chose the armoire instead of a built-in closet because it allows for more storage and better organization in less space.  The bedroom also features a set of patio doors leading out back.  With the door to the great room open in cold weather, you could enjoy the glow of the fireplace while laying in bed.  If you installed a Murphy-type bed in there, especially one that transforms into a desk when the bed is upright, you'd gain quite a bit in terms of the functionality of the space.

Bedroom

The kitchen is more complete than you see in most tiny homes.  It has a big refrigerator/freezer, full-size stove, 18" dishwasher, large sink, six linear feet of wall cabinets, decent base cabinets, and enough counter space to actually prepare a meal on.  It also has two adjacent closets.  I was thinking that one could be a broom closet and the other could house batteries and an inverter for a small solar electric system.  You might choose to put a water heater in one of the closets, or you could put a small one under either the kitchen counter or the bathroom vanity.

Galley kitchen and two closets flanking the bathroom door

The bathroom has all the standard fixtures, plus a stacked washer/dryer combination and a linen closet.  I debated including a larger shower, or even a four foot tub/shower combination, but ultimately I decided on a 32" shower so I could fit the linen closet in too.

View of the bathroom

Take a virtual tour of the home and listen to my description in the video below.  If you enjoy the video, please "like", share, comment and/or subscribe.  Thanks!

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Wood-Tex Adirodack Cottage

Every time I drive past the Wood-Tex place in Himrod, NY, I stop in to see if I can get some photos of the interior of this cottage.  I've been trying for months, but this model is always locked-up tight, so I was happy to finally get in last weekend.  

Front view of Wood-Tex Adirondack Cottage

Wood-Tex advertises the model as 16' x 40', but those dimensions include the 16' x 6' front porch.  The enclosed space is more like 16' x 34' which by my calculation is 544 square feet.  Their brochure calls it 510 square feet, but I'm not sure how they calculate that.  They are probably subtracting wall thicknesses or something from the square footage.

Kitchen view

A Remarkable and Beautiful Sustainable Building

It's obvious that this building is neither small scale nor a home, but it is a great showplace for many elements of sustainable energy and building practices.  That interests me a lot and hopefully it interests you at least a little bit too.  Let me show you around the living laboratory of sustainability I work in. 

Canopy over the main entrance to Sustainability Hall

South side of Sustainability Hall  (photo taken autumn 2012)

North side of Sustainability Hall (photo taken February 2013)

 Just to quickly sum-up some of this building's cool features, here's a partial list...

1. 170 photovoltaic solar panels (w/ space to add 144 more)
2. Three wind turbines
3. A 400 kW fuel cell
4. "Green" roof 
5. Radiant slab floor heated and/or cooled by geothermal heat pumps
6. Rainwater management/reuse system
7. Four electric vehicle charging stations
8. Efficient LED dark-sky-friendly outdoor safety and security lighting
9. High performance building envelope
10. "Green" wall 

That's not a complete list, but it's some of the highlights.

A Houseboat as a Small Home

Houseboats are pretty much by definition smaller than houses that are not boats.  I'm not sure what the square footage of this nice houseboat is, but I'm inclined to say it's considerably less than 500 square feet.

Houseboat exterior

Of course a houseboat doesn't have a yard in the common sense of the word.  They tend to take full advantage of any outdoor space, decks, roofs, what have you, to gain a little outdoor living space.  In this particular case, the outdoor spaces span many levels.  Stairs can eat-up a lot of space so ship's ladders are used to move between levels, both indoors and out.

SPACE SAVING STAIRS & LADDERS FOR SMALL HOMES

In small, tiny, or "right sized" homes, you don't want to sacrifice usable space if you can avoid it.  That's why you see so many ladders leading to the lofts of tiny homes. It's the perfect solution for some, but others may want something that makes loft access more, well, accessible.  The idea of negotiating a steeply pitched ladder in the middle of the night might deter many otherwise would-be small home owners.  I'm going to discuss space saving stairs and ladders including ship's ladders, alternating step stairs, and spiral stairs.

Gorgeous narrow diameter wooden spiral staircase.

Refined Living with no Electricity: Off Grid Living Part 2

Living with absolutely no electricity strikes fear in the hearts of some.  It may seem primitive, inconvenient, or at the very least, lacking.  Michael and Diana Lorence of northern California have been living quite comfortably that way for years by choice though. They do it with surprising style and grace, all within the confines of a 12' x 12' tiny home they call "Innermost House."  To them, their life in this tiny home without electricity or hot water is not one of deprivation, but instead it's a life of luxury.  See if you agree.

View from sleeping loft into sitting area.