Container homes by MEKA World

I just discovered this prefab container house company from Canada.  That's right, all these home models are made from metal shipping containers!  They have six very impressive container home designs to choose from.  The number in the model name tells you how many square feet the design has.  For example, the ALP 320 is 320 square feet.  You can find more photos and floor plans on their website, MEKAworld.com.  All photo and image credits in this post go to MEKA World.  The models and current prices (in USD) as of the day of this post are listed below...
  
ALP 320         $45,000      
SOL 480         $55,200   
VOR 640        $73,600     
THOR 960     $110,400   
HELA 1280   $147,200      

ALP 320 Exterior

Folding Homes by Habitaflex

I'm posting two videos and some informative images about folding homes made by Habitaflex (habitaflex.com) today.  The way they operate seems pretty well thought out.  Bathrooms and kitchens are included, along with cabinets, countertops, and fixtures such as toilet, sinks, shower, and range hood.  Even phone and cable jacks are included, but some models at least don't appear to be intended for permanent habitation.  The larger heavier ones look like they may be suitable as permanent homes.   If you scroll down far enough, you'll find interior and exterior photos, and a floor plan too. The model in the photos is 768 square feet with three bedrooms.

Habitaflex Video Link (YouTube)

Small Cottage on a Beautiful Lake in Vermont

This waterfront cottage in Vermont's Northeast Kingdom is less than 500 square feet. It also happens to be where my wife and I stayed for our honeymoon almost 14 years ago.   It has a galley kitchen, three fixture bathroom, gas fired "wood stove", sunken living room, and screened-in dining porch.  It's decorated in a rustic style with furniture by Old Hickory.  The lakefront location with its own dock on one of the prettiest lakes in Vermont is hard to beat. 

Sunken living room decorated in rustic style.

Tiny Homes Along the Erie Canal?

I  jog and walk my dogs on a path that runs along the Erie Canal near my home.  One side has the canal, the other side has the houses to whom these out buildings belong.  These little buildings are not tiny homes currently, as far as I can tell, but they can serve as inspiration for your own tiny or small home aspirations.  

This one is actually a pool cabana, but I see a lot of small house potential in it.

Wood-Tex 768 Square Foot Prefab. Cabin

I found this modular cabin for sale by the roadside while on a recent drive near Seneca Lake in New York.   I snapped these photos with my phone's camera quickly because I was in a hurry to get to my destination .  This cabin's dimensions are 16' x 32', with a 16' x 16' loft.  The front also features a 16' x 4' covered porch.  It seemed pretty nice, both inside and out.  The company that makes it is called Wood-Tex.

Front of the "Gatlinburg Cabin."

Rochester Greenovation Tiny Home for the Homeless Project

I recently attended the first meeting in a ten part series that will ultimately result in a tiny house prototype for homeless people.  It was facilitated by Rochester Greenovation in Rochester, NY rochestergreen.org.  The idea is to build a tiny home from salvaged materials such as pallets and old windows.  The first meeting involved brainstorming with members of the group and sharing ideas about the design.  In ten weeks, we should have a prototype.  This installment of my blog is intended as a resource for group members, but it could be useful to any other individuals or groups contemplating similar projects with similar goals.    


I will try to update this post as I find additional helpful material.  I'll start with a video about pallet types and how to break them down. 

Nine people attended the meeting, including me.  I enjoyed meeting everyone, and I thought there was a good discussion.  Some of the talk caused me to think of some work by the tiny home designer, Michael Janzen. What follows is from his website http://www.ninetinyfeet.com

Homes Made From Shipping Containers

Many people are turning their attention toward shipping containers, cargo containers, or ISBUs (Inter-modal Steel Building Units) as they look for ways to create affordable housing.  Shipping container house plans or floor plans are readily available on the internet.  Standard shipping container sizes are roughly 8'-0" wide by either 20' or 40' long.  They come in standard height which provides about 7'-6" of interior height, or "high cube" containers which provide about 8'-6" of interior height.  As I see it, shipping containers have four primary virtues... 

A nice modern house, made from old shipping containers.