The World's Tiniest Homes (VIDEO, PHOTOS)

Bigger isn't necessarily better, especially when you want to live sustainably. At least that's what these small home enthusiasts live by. Giving up the luxury of space, tiny-home owners and builders opt instead for a more eco-friendly, less resource intense way of living. By building homes with high ceilings and planting them in open spaces, they still maintain the illusion of space around them. These homeowners are using less heat, electricity and raw materials -- and they might just make you reconsider how important space really is to you. What do you think-- could you live in a 10 by 10 foot space?

 

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Yale Student

When Elizabeth Turnbull got accepted to Yale's School of Forestry and Environmental Studies as a graduate student, she, like any other student, thought about where she would live. But unlike any other student, she decided to build her own 144 square foot home.

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Comments

[Roccodante]

04:44 PM on 01/19/2010

Those look really cool, but I have a five year old, a husband and two dogs, so not sure I could live in a small space with a five year old - teen ager. Would be cool for a retired or single person. Kids need their own space to sleep.

[lamar5292]

01:08 PM on 01/19/2010

I live in a 14x14 solar powered home. No house payments and no utility bills life is great!

You can see my cabin on youtube for ideas:

http://www.youtube.com/user/solarcabin#p/c/34F7ECFEEB05659B

LaMar

[BruceScott]

09:33 AM on 01/19/2010

That little one in the Wales woodland is wonderful, for me a perfect dream home. Trouble is, you have to own the land to build the home. So for most of us it is the flat in the city or town (in Europe more or less the same either way). The land, even 300 square meters of it, is simply too expensive. At least in a place where most people have their jobs.

[Steamboater]

07:59 AM on 01/19/2010

These homes are better for one person. A couple lives together and the only place to get away from each other is outside the house. Me? I don't know if I could live ever alone in such a small space. It would be like living in a motel room and I've got just too many things I'm not ready to give up--yet. When I moved from TN after living there 15 years to CA I sold everything and thought that was fine and swore I'd never accumulate as much as I did before but now I have even more stuff. Nasty habit I need to get over. HELP!!!!

[Axekick]

06:49 AM on 01/19/2010

The homes sold by "12 Cube" ARE NOT 10 & 12 square feet as you have labeled them. For Christ sake that is the equivalent of 3' by 4'(for the big one!)

They are rather 12 foot by 12 foot which would be 144 square feet.

Neat article though, I like the idea of living small... but not sure how small would be manageable.

[Jtt]

03:16 AM on 01/19/2010

Wow I kinda really liked those. the "12 cubed" and the "tiny house in Portland" were really nice.

[edayres]

02:39 AM on 01/19/2010

I want to be there when the sectional sofa is delivered.

[hippie4ever]

01:23 AM on 01/19/2010

I became used to small spaces when I lived in France and Spain. Bedrooms are pretty small as are kitchens and baths. Now I've two large rooms and amazed that others consider my space "small." All relative to your location I suppose. Those huge new houses are wasteful, toxic pits, I agree.

[coveark]

04:07 PM on 01/19/2010

Agreed...........My family of 5 lived in 10'x15' rock home for a year and franky.....a very happy time.

[sueflame]

10:40 AM on 01/20/2010

Yes Mom, It was a good time. I will say that I REALLY do appreciate an indoor, flush toilet!

[JScott]

12:58 AM on 01/19/2010

I think if you are accepted at Taliesin West's FLW architecture program in AZ one of your projects it to make yourself a 10 x 10 habitable space on the campus.

[MissTrish]

11:44 PM on 01/18/2010

Just because a home is very small doesn't mean it's green. If you make a small house but it's made from building materials that are full of formaldehyde, pesticides, arsenic and other toxic chemicals there's nothing green about the house. Particle board, plywood and almost all commercial lumber include these chemicals. The chemicals are not inert. They constantly put out fumes in a process known as out gassing. Large numbers of people who lived in government supplied trailers after Hurricane Katrina became extremely ill from toxic exposure to the same chemicals that Tumbleweed Houses and all standard builders use. Infants and young children were the most badly affected by the toxic chemicals in the air inside the trailers.

A truly green home is only as big as the people who will be occupying it need it to be and is constructed from the least toxic building materials available. Straw bale is one example of green insulation which is completely nontoxic and takes the leftover material from grain production and turns it into a useable product instead of it being burned as waste. For more info on straw bale houses just Google straw bale houses.

As any house, large or small, becomes more tightly sealed to save on heating costs, the toxic gases given off by standard building materials, household pesticides and chemical cleaning products becomes more concentrated due to lack of ventilation and your indoor air quality becomes more polluted than the air outside your home.

[quillsinister]

11:37 PM on 01/18/2010

No. :-P

[quillsinister]

11:32 PM on 01/18/2010

I would totally live in a hobbit hole. That means comfort. :-)

[Amock]

11:32 PM on 01/18/2010

Why not just get a 30 - 36 foot RV? Got a queen bed, shower/toilet, kitchen area and you can move it.

[Vieux Charles]

10:33 PM on 01/18/2010

If they could fit in a shopping cart homeless people could wheel them around.

[runforlife]

10:12 PM on 01/18/2010

Tiny homes are an option for singles. But that's it.

[kbella]

04:16 AM on 01/19/2010

Eh, my husband and I live in a 140 square foot home. We have been here for nearly 2 years and haven't come close to killing each other yet.