Tag Archives: Tiny Homes

Australia Design: Tiny House Tour In Fitzroy

The Local Project (December 29, 2023) – Fitzroy Laneway House is an architects own tiny house grounded in foresight and malleability – attributes that an architect brings when designing their own home.

Video timeline: 00:00 – Introduction to the Architects Own Tiny House 01:32 – A Family Centred Brief 02:01 – A Walkthrough and the Layout of the House 03:18 – Integrating the Landscape and Exterior 03:50 – A Robust and Grounded Material Palette 04:54 – The Connected Design Approach

Andrew Child of Andrew Child Architecture creates a family home designed with both the present and the future in mind that eloquently responds to its inner-city Melbourne location. Andrew was immediately drawn to the original home, which is one of five Victorian terrace homes in a historically rich street in Fitzroy – a vibrant locale with lots of old buildings mixed in with new pieces of architecture. The brief for an architects own tiny house was to create a residence that would accommodate Andrew and his family into the future and be open to change.

“I also wanted something quite informal, that felt relaxed. We want to have fun here,” says Andrew. Fitzroy Laneway House is founded on the notion of connection to the site and the surrounding area. “I wanted the house to feel like a sanctuary, but I still wanted it to feel like we are connected to Fitzroy,” notes Andrew. As such, large windows offer views of the garden, neighbouring buildings and across rooftops. “If things change, like trees knocked down, we have installed shading blinds, timber screens, metal screen curtains, drapes and hanging planters, which all help with managing privacy while still making us feel connected to the locale,” says Andrew.

New Zealand Design: A South Island ‘Eco-Cabin’

The Local Project (October 31, 2023) – The Cabin by Johnstone Callaghan Architects is a tiny eco home located in Abel Tasman National Park, on the South Island of New Zealand.

Video timeline: 00:00 – Introduction to the Tiny Eco Home 00:34 – The Remote South Island Location 01:38 – The Layout of the Tiny Eco Home 02:41 – The Cabin Structure and Features 03:17 – A Unique Outdoor Shower 03:37 – Bespoke Design Elements 04:48 – A Sensory Experience

Connected to nature and surrounded by wildlife, the tiny eco home is one of four privately held properties that is reachable only by boat or a walking track. As The Cabin is positioned among the trees, the architects limited tree cutting as much as possible so the owners could help regenerate the land. Additionally, due to the remote nature of the property, the owners have been given the rare opportunity to live amid nature itself. When arriving at the site of the tiny eco home, the house tour begins at the bottom of the property.

The house tour then takes you up a winding staircase that bypasses nature, so one is continuously connected to the natural surrounds. In the main living space of the tiny eco home, there is a kitchen with warm timber tones that complements the interior design, which is then contrasted by the dark timber tones found in the main bedroom. The remainder of the home leads out to the deck area, where a concrete bunker houses a sunken outdoor toilet.

Tiny Home Tourism: Stella The Stargazer, The Bay Of Islands Near Melbourne

Visit Melbourne (March 9, 2023) – Step outside the city and spend a night or two with Stella the Stargazer, Victoria’s newest limited-edition off-grid accommodation experience.

Stella is a uniquely Victorian tiny home, paying homage to the Aussie shed, crafted with repurposed timber and steel salvaged from a historical farming shed.

Stella is fitted with everything a hotel guest needs, and nothing they don’t. She’s all about quality over quantity, exuding authenticity and craftsmanship not before seen in a tiny home. With a focus on low environmental impact, the materials provide an aesthetic which is sustainable and distinctively Victorian.

Guests will truly be able to get back to nature and embrace the elements during their stay – enjoying a bespoke roll-out sleeping platform for stargazing.

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Australian Architecture: A Tiny Home In Adelaide

A sculptural tiny house enveloped by the garden, Plaster Fun House represents a light-hearted shift from the residential norm. Designed by Sans-Arc Studio, the extension of the tiny house sees the old and new united in a home defined by curves. Located in Torrensville, a western suburb of Adelaide, Plaster Fun House takes inspiration from its cultural surroundings.

Video timeline: 00:00 – The Local Project’s Print Publication 00:14 – Introduction to Plaster Fun House 00:50 – An Interesting Brief 01:15 – Integrating Old and New 01:41 – A Backyard Oasis 02:00 – Curves in all the Right Places 02:28 – Taking Inspiration from Migrant Housing 03:00 – Colour Splashing Throughout 03:50 – A Display of the Clients Personalities 04:32 – Interacting with the Surrounding Environment 05:45 – Subscribe to The Local Project’s Print Publication

Though, a house tour reveals that the primary architectural aspects of the tiny house contrast the immediate built landscape, testifying instead to an art deco style. Sans-Arc Studio introduces curves into the architecture, interior design and particularly the custom joinery of the tiny house.

As well as injecting a playful character into the home, the curves enable effortless movement through the compact space. Responding to the clients’ request for terrazzo to be used wherever possible, Sans-Arc Studio employs terrazzo benchtops. Stepping down into the extension of the home, the terrazzo material of the kitchen island benchtop unites the old and new aspects of the dwelling, a staggering from kitchen bench to dining surface marks the threshold between new and existing.

Across the façade of the tiny house, natural light plays across the stucco wall treatment; a crafted ode to the Mediterranean-inspired housing of the surrounds. The resulting home is peaceful, artistic and unique, providing the clients with a new and inviting extension.

Tiny Homes: Asprolithos Villa On Kythnos, Greece

With a breathtaking view of the Aegean Sea, Asprolithos Villa was designed to reflect the simplicity and aesthetic of traditional Greek design. Constructed of locally sourced stone, each of the three villas has been whitewashed to maximise the reflection of light and heat. Each of the villas is connected to the other by large outdoor communal areas, surrounded by a contrasting raw stone wall. Inside, the 40 square metre spaces have been divided into zones by raising the living area, and recessing parts of the kitchen. The villa’s built-in sofa allows the area around it to function as additional storage, while also doubling as a small desk. Throughout the villa, the focus is always looking out towards the sea. Creating a calm relaxing environment as you move from zone to zone.

Tours: ‘Skylark Cabin’ – Off Grid Tiny Home In Twizel, New Zealand

A tiny off grid cabin, Skylark Cabin embraces the incredible views afforded by its location. Barry Connor Design opens the cabin to the foothills of the Ben Ohau Mountain Range, establishing the residence as a dream home. Settled into the rugged environment of Twizel, Canterbury, the tiny off grid cabin is under 50 square metres and under four metres in height. From the cabin tour, i

Video timeline: 00:00 – The Local Project Print Publication 00:20 – The Brief for the Architect 00:45 – The Location of the Off Grid Cabin 01:03 – The Layout of the Cabin 02:40 – The Exterior from the Street 03:00 – The Layout Continued 03:26 – The Weather and Environment Around the Cabin 04:08 – Using Orange on the Exterior 04:20 – The Exterior of the Off Grid Cabin 04:51 – The Skylight in the Bedroom 05:04 – The Outdoor Bath 05:55

t becomes clear that the home has many features that make it a special addition to Airbnb. The architecture of Skylark Cabin encourages residents to enjoy the New Zealand landscape. Windows of various sizes throughout the home make for defined views of Backbone Peak and the Ben Ohau Range, whilst an open sightline from the bedroom to the reserve – passing through the living room – allows the tiny off grid cabin to borrow visual space from the outdoors. Barry Connor Design ensures that the interior design of the tiny off grid cabin references the natural scenery. Sheets of beech plywood pull the colours of the surrounding landscape into the cabin, whilst a large skylight above the bed alludes to the night sky in oversized, telescopic fashion. By creating a tiny off grid cabin that bears witness to its ever-changing external environment, Barry Connor ensures that the experience of backcountry Ben Ohau Range is like no other.

Tiny Home Design: A 484 SF, 3-Bedroom ‘SmartZendo’ Apartment In Hong Kong

Situated along the coast of Hong Kong, SmartZendo apartment was designed to bring Zen ideas into a small home. In redesigning the home, architect Patrick Lam converted a chaotic, awkward space into a mindful experience of modern living, using Zen’s focus to draw the scenery outside into the home.

Creating an open living area allowed the addition of a raised floor, containing additional storage hidden by hatches, as well as a raisable coffee table embedded in the floor. This also allowed the relocation of the kitchen from an irregularly shaped room into the living area, and the addition of a series of timber panels that can divide the living space into a sleeping area.

Smart hardware and appliances complete the home, reducing clutter and encouraging dual purpose use of furniture and cabinetry throughout.