Other299 Dude, $140,000?! For something that if I and a girlfriend maybe move into, (BECAUSE WHAT HE SAYS ABOUT BEING A FUCKIN SINGLE BARISTA AND BEING ABLE TO AFFORD ONE OF THESE THINGS IS BS Totally untrue, and disingenuous) we couldn't have kids? You know? It's just like, if you think MODEL T, you think affordable. But when you think, and he mentions, the iPhone, which I have, lol, it starts to make sense unfortunately. This guys trying to make big bucks off of selling this nice-LOOKING, but truly overpriced, OVER-HYPED, Under-Utilitarian 320 sq ft. steel/glass box, and calling it modern. There isn't even a loft? I like the idea you can stack them, but then it's just, RIDICULOUS considering they are 140,000 damn dollars! HONESTLY, cut that shit in half and MAYBE that will be the "solution to the housing crisis," at this point as a barista, I'd need to work for 14 years saving up every penny, I'm 17 now. It's just boloney what this guy is saying. I'd expect more from a coming out of a trash-can living guy turned entrepreneur.
$140,000?! You could buy a GOOD sized apartment for that in the UK. Not some tiny van. They fail to realise that while we love smart storage and smart lil nick-nacks, we don’t really care about pointless technology. I mean, the dimming windows? Really? Why not just add extra space? Or blinds? Wouldn’t that be way cheaper? People who need a place to live don’t give a fuck about technology. They just want a decent roof over their head and place to live. I dno ya’ll I think (as they said in the video) they need to improve it and make different versions.
The price will be different depending on what you want, where you live, transporting it, materials, fittings ... it is the concept he is trying to sell more than the unit.
Professor Dumpster is at it again! I was concerned about the Greenhouse Effect when I saw all that glass, but the fact that it darkens is so cool! Love this!
And the glass is not a new technology, and proven durability. Quite some time back, an orchestral hall in Toronto first used it in a large skylight in the hall and it darkens for the performance "curtain".
I love this prefab home idea! Being able to move your home to a different structure (rack) is a major plus. I just hope they'll be able to build these while keeping the prices relatively low. Thanks for the video :)
This is amazing and I completely see this becoming part of the future of housing in the US. The idea of modular portable "plug + play" houses is awesome. We need more of this type of idea and innovation in housing.
There does not appear to be an escape route if something in the kitchen catches fire. For that reason, I think the kitchen should be located closer to the glassed in area and the sleeping quarters closer to the door.
If the units are stacked (as is the plan), there would be nowhere to go if a window was made into a door. Additionally, the window is suspended higher than the main floor so there would have to be steps or a ladder which takes away the aesthetics of the building.
Raw Fooder For some reason my comment didn't @ you, but yeah I agree completely with you. I wouldn't feel comfortable living in one these places without a second way out of it. That is a deathtrap right there. But perhaps things can be flipped around where the kitchen is in a back and then the bathroom and sleeping area is in front of the kitchen. Even trailer homes have two doors, that should be a law in any building.
misterOsc I guess someone will pickup their home and drop it like a cellphone! This glass by law has to be tempered, which means it is difficult to break unless intentionally. The thicker the better, or they can go even more reasonable and have poly glass. The kind that are used for fish tanks!!! Lol
Technically, there's nothing wrong with this concept. There was nothing technically wrong the thousand other times this was explored in myriad variations. The stumbling-block is culture. Inventors and architects have been trying to industrialize housing for a century and it has always failed because it's not a design or technology problem. The problem is that alternative architecture and construction is inherently disruptive to an economic philosophy that exploits a delusion of architectural permanence upon which our concepts of property are based and which has long been exploited by the finance industry to cultivate dependence. As soon as Mr. Wilson says (paraphrasing) "This is expensive now, but it will be affordable in volume." he's treading down a very well-worn path to making the concept critically dependent upon people--bankers and investors--who systematically created the very problem he's trying to solve. He needs to examine the history of industrialized housing technology, look at the mobile home, the Lustron, the countless prefab modular designs and alternative building systems. Why did they fail, become 'damned' from the presence of mainstream society by class association, or get relegated to use on the edge-of-wilderness? I fear that Mr. Wilson will soon find himself betrayed like so many others. As an amateur Post-Industrial futurist, proponent of alternative architecture, and the concept of Mobilism, I completely agree with Mr. Wilson's assessment of the trends and the core logic of his design concept. I feel we are, in the long-term, evolving toward a more mobile society with a more Georgist economic philosophy. But the housing, real estate, and finance industries are the chief obstacles to that evolution. The situation at present is neither an accident or a product of nature. Solutions may need to be insurgent. The automobile industry is not a model for housing. We've been down that road repeatedly and it was a dead-end. That approach is too centralized/massified and thus too easy to obstruct because of the liability of its economy-of-scale. We need to imagine housing as a verb--as an application, not an appliance--and leverage technology and design on empowering the individual in that application, whittling-away at the hegemonies bottom-up and from many angles at once. It's the 21st century. There is no reason a person should not be able to house themselves, by themselves, with ease, personalization, and out-of-pocket. I think the Kasita concept has the right core idea, but at the wrong component scale. I'm in favor of building on a functionally generic 'passive backplane' that enables minimal impact land use without conventional property development. The house should be more like a PC--with, maybe, a new Do-mino as motherboard. But the scale of hardware chosen compels a now untenable 20th century industrial approach. It risks becoming a vertical trailer park--risks becoming 'damned' architecture. Imagine if you were to do much the same thing at a more human scale of plug-in retrofit. My own approach to the concept of Mobilism has been through the use of transportable, reconfigurable, 'furnitecture' that can apply adaptive reuse to new and old functionally generic structure---and do it without a hundred million dollar investment in production.
Very articulate response with good data to support your argument. High property taxes are big revenue sources for big cities. The big cities won't lower them, and someone has to pay them. Landlords, in whatever form, will pass on that cost to the renter. It's inevitable. PS: You write so well, but please try not to use the word "leverage," especially as a verb. It's a hackneyed expression now, abused by bureaucrats and administrative types, bandied about when they aren't sure what direction their argument is going when they are holding the floor for a moment in a big meeting. You're too good of a thinker to need the word "leverage." ;)
+Eric Hunting. That's a well written critique of the housing industry. I'm in the UK and recognise that much of what you say applies here too. The application of industrial process to the manufacture of some sort of modular home has been a virtually lifelong interest since a childhood holiday spent in a 20ft by 10ft trailer complete with murphy beds. The park where we stayed was established in the late 1950's when there was a lot of post-war housing system components becoming available secondhand. Some amenity buildings on the park were constructed from two of these systems which were brought in to provide emergency housing to replace conventional housing rendered uninhabitable by neglect or enemy action during WW2. These systems made good use of the materials, production facilities and transport available in a war-shattered economy heavily directed by government. The political objectives of producing longterm permanent housing in vast quantities led to system building solutions to speed up housebuilding with reduced reliance on skilled site labour. The design of many resulting housing schemes and their systembuild components combined with poor quality control during manufacture and installation which led to immediate problems of habitability, and to later costly remedial works or irreversible failure followed by demolition. This affected public housing projects in the main as private housing developments were generally of lowrise brick and mortar construction. The private housing market still revolves around this form of construction and perpetuates it despite the absurdities of workers still standing in the open air placing one brick upon the other to produce the structural shell of a home while robots have been assembling car bodyshells for 40 years. The weathering properties of brick do reinforce the delusion or illusion of architectural permanence for the time being in the UK, and the history of landholding probably gives Georgism less traction than in N.America. Land use policy and building codes do discourage individual insurgent solutions especially in the UK with its small landmass and scarce wilderness. Individuals could buy into co-operative entities of sufficient mass to be able to employ professional staff who negociate with public authorities and funding institutions in the provision and operation of sites to accommodate modular mobile housing units on the ground or in a rack system. The shipping container in its 10,20,30 and 40ft variations would seem to me to be a good basis for modular housing that can be easily relocated. There is already a whole insurgency in existence which exploits the virtues of these mass produced 'motherboards' to produce personalised homes. Economies of scale do bring these units close to out-of-pocket affordability. The instant structural shell then allows personalisation to proceed at an out-of -pocket rate of expenditure if needs be. Incorporation of units into a racking system would obviously have implications for fire safety and sound insulation would and necessitate design codes being implemented and adhered to.
This is the most intelligent design I've seen out there in the tiny house world if we are thinking about solutions for the masses. I love this idea, and I love the guy presenting it. Go, brother, go!
This raises more questions than it answers. If you stack 100 of these in a confined cityscape with limited light, you basically just have some very small apartments, with glass balconies looking straight into the neighbors balcony. What makes tiny houses interesting for most, is that you might have an option to put it in an attractive environment and some flexibility to maybe move it around, but even if you stack 100 of these, the land price for an attractive position would by fare be more than people would be willing to pay for this size of living. The whole idea of being able to take your home with you, seems like an utopi. If these a stacked by the 100's in a confined lot, I can't even imagine how to move one section on 5th floor out and move it to another location, at least not without it being extremely costly. Also what's the point, if you have to move it to a spot where the boxes are the same. Easier to just move the people no? Not sure about US laws, but guessing it cannot be seen as real estate if it's moveable with whatever legal challenges this can have. The idea of making mass scale tiny houses for better quality and lower prices are fantastic, the rest is a spin inside an artists head
The rack is a MUCH better idea than stacking shipping containers for this use, because if you take one out that's not on the top of the pile, you don't have to take out all the ones above it beforehand. "Think before you ask these questions, Mitch."
A racking system is critical because that allows you to only move the unit in question (and not the units stacked above or next to it). You also wouldn't want to build from a shipping container if you don't need the stacking ability (which is one of very few positive attributes that a shipping container offers). I used to be a big fan of the shipping container homes, but when you look deeper into it, it makes more sense to just build a pre-fab home the size of a shipping container. (If the idea is to stack or ship them). Those corrugated steel walls are the worst possible starting point. Steel is a great conductor, and add corrugation and now you have even more conductive surface area. No bueno.
I absolutely love this. This is one of the most efficient and beautiful tiny spaces I have ever seen. Thank you for that. I am currently in the market for buying "unusable" land in Los Angeles and finding the right, super affordable home to place on it is a challenge. I would love one of these. I wish you so much success.
Already doing this "plug-n-play" concept in China. These frame structures are pre-built (along with entire cities), just waiting for the population to move there and fill it (kind of spooky when you tour the entire city that's empty). When workers arrive in the urban center pick out their "model" and then it 's outfitted and craned into the frame high-rise.
Transportation of these is the only drawback. anything over 102" wide is an "Oversized load" $3.50 to $4.00 per mile along with a rigging crew and crane on both ends of the trip. This does not mean that it will cost $40 to move it 10 miles. The milage rate is on add on to the vehicle use rate of about $1000. 10' wide is an Oversized load not needing escort vehicles following in front of the truck. I would imagine if these are mass produced the manufacturer would be best to own their own special crane device and transport trucks.
I would think someone will see the need to open a transport service specifically for the Kasita. A lot of the cost to move is the company knowing you will pay the fee because you have to, bt I am sure someone will do it for less so they can secure that business space.
+Kirsten Dirksen It still translates to a great idea because really how often do people move? if put on wheels like an RV and going with the non-stacked way of living in one of these is probably the best way to own one. Or, without wheels it would be identical to people that own and sometimes pay to move a traditional Mobil home. I think that these are really cool. Modern thinking is good.
I don't think he mentioned dimensions, but these are POD dimensions (the containers people pack to move their stuff):PODS® containers come in 3 sizes (sizes are approximate): 7 foot container: 7'x7'x8', typically holds 1 room* 12 foot container: 12'x8'x8', typically holds 2-3 rooms. 16 foot container: 16'x8'x8', typically holds 3-4 rooms. Moving those costs thousands of dollars depending on distance, but it's a lot more convenient if your moving pod is also your apartment. Financially, you save on deposit and first month rent fees if you own the unit or rent through a company that leases the unit separate from the land.
the big guy who talked about a shoe box would not fit into the shower area. can you make doorways larger? is there a 'handicaped' version?? wheelchairable??
This is the prototype. As they develop the idea, and also, as they begin manufacturing in volume, bringing costs down, they will be able to make units that meet different specific needs. He also mentioned being able to make them 50% larger and they would still be able to be moved via semi.
@Eye : Nope... by making a house accessible you need to sacrafice something else. Not a problem when the customer would like to have an accessible house, but one who doesn't need an accessible house should not be forced to buy an accessible one, it's a personal choice and you take your house with you. It would be the same as demanding that all cars should be wheel-chair friendly....
The design I love. Would like a non glass floor option. Clean zen lines, well laid out, and NO loft bed area to tackle. And here in the Sierras we would do 100% off grid solar.
I'd also go for a non-glass floor option, especially with upper and lower neighbors, for the sake of privacy. I think rotating the direction of each floor's racks would also help a bit with privacy, too. Some possibilities in the design of the racks could do some really interesting things, like: 1) Make the A/C exhaust out the back, toward a central heat-capture column, and use that waste heat to generate some electricity. 2) Integrate with the latest vertical farming technology in the rack for hyper-local food. Go next door to pick the greens for your meal. The latest innovations in this use plants suspended, rather than in dirt, and the nutrients are sprayed on them, using 95% less water than normal. 3) Put solar/wind generation on the top of the rack to generate local power.
Beth Grant-DeRoos uh no, you're not going to be allowed to go into the Sierras.. that's the whole point of getting people on board with the Tiny House idealouge.. then, when people think it's cool, we'll ship them all off to one of 10 mega regions, packaging them into tiny shoe box stack and pack housing..making the rest of the nation ( buffer zones) restricted and off limits to humans.. jeesh.. how come no one has read Agenda 21 and Agenda 2030???
Watching this 8 years after the video came out! To this date this is one of the best tiny homes solutions Ive seen! And the most sustainable solution due to being able to swap out of the structure and lot it is on to another structure and lot instead of building a new structure each time you need to ore want to move due to new workplace etc. I would really love a follow up video on this concept
This does nothing to solve the problem of urban affordability. It just puts urban dwellers into even smaller boxes, and the rack space will cost more and more as demand goes up. And although you might own the module, you will have to rent or mortgage the space like a condo or coop and pay some form of maintenance fee. The answer to the problem is to stop playing that game and get people out of the cities. Most people would consider it cruel to put a cat in an apartment that small let alone even a toy breed of dog. So why is it ok for humans to live in such an environment.
I know what you mean; I fear the tiny house movement could easily end in people paying they same as they pay now for 2000 square feet, only to live in 200. You look at videos of tiny apartments in big cities like Paris, New York, or Tokyo and they are already there. I've even seen a cable show that showed a million dollar tiny house in Sydney. A million, for 600 square feet.
Yeah, once he told that landowner he could dissemble the rack to build a hotel, I thought, "Wow! Doesn't that make living in a kasita very precarious?!". For the landowner, his ideal is to charge rent to the owners of these tiny modules until he generates enough profit to build something that he'll generate more profit from- which seems totally out of line with the tiny house movement
New housing is all about making money in the US. That's just the way it works. I can't imagine investors giving capital to a novel project like this if the entire goal is to make the final product very affordable. All the high end stuff in the inside shows that these need to be high end (expensive) in order to make economic sense. Affordable housing in the US will always be limited to old apartments and houses in less desirable areas. Nothing new will ever be affordable without government subsidies and rent control laws.
Perhaps a solution would be for people to pool their money, buy a piece of land together and build a tiny house community. That way they could keep the costs down. It doesn't have to be tiny houses. An outside management company could operate it, that way if a noisy neighbor bothers you, someone can handle it for you and keep the peace. They could also handle maintenance, such as road upkeep.
The tiny hose movement is very exciting. There are in fact many barriers to placement opportunities. I love the construction considerations you have given. Great project - Good luck - Julie
not quite what he said, nor did I think his intention was for any innuendo 15:00 mark for those that wanna hearth-cam.com/video/3jF9ftC6U0Y/w-d-xo.htmlm2s
I think I would feel like an item on display with that large glass area, since it would catch the eye of onlookers because of its industrial and new look
I love tiny houses and most of Kirsten's videos, but this idea... what a ridiculously impractical way to design and build a small apartment complex. 70 boxes stacked up in a steel frame means 70 individual AC units, 70 individual plumbing systems, 70 individual heating systems. 70 roofs. More practical to build a regular (micro) apartment building in the area and set up a flexible ownership model, somewhere between condos and a co-op, so people don't have to save or borrow tens of thousands of dollars to move in, but while they're living there they can build some equity (instead of just renting a place).
You're exactly right! Too many a/c units needed in this design. Construction isn't practical....And why aren't condos, as you've described, already more affordable? Because the land is too expensive, and the city/state taxes the land too much. Property taxes in dense cities are extremely high. Property owners who rent out units pass along the high cost to the renter, just to be able to make ends meet.
if they cut out some of the high end gadgets and reduce the price to 30k it would be great. how much does the rack cost? and could you combine units for families?
That price will drop dramatically when/if this takes off. It likely costs that to build one, but like he said, if you build 100 or 1,000 that cost goes way down per unit.
Here in the Midwest winter temperatures can get as low as -75F with the wind chill. My wedding day (December 9, 1995) broke all records at -55F. It was such a bummer! It it had been 45F the day before. In the summer it can easily reach 105F-not factoring in the high humidity, so the actual heat index is even higher. Those walls look mighty thin, and a mini split wouldn't even put a dent in the weather we have here. I'm really not trying to rain on anyone's parade-I am just trying to be a realist. Say I sunk my hard earned cash into one of these units, with the thought I would live in one here for a few years, and then maybe retire to Florida and take it with me. Besides the fact I can see from the prototype there cannot possibly be enough insulation, our close to 200 degree Farenheit potential swing in weather per year causes profound expansion and contraction of all building materials. If selling Kasita's on a nationwide basis, that would have to be factored into consideration.
I think you make an excellent point. Housing construction is very personal and dependent on location and climate. Not sure if this is being considered in the design and construction of these modules. Expansion and contraction based on wide temperature fluctuations is a big part of home construction. How different materials respond to different climates and weather conditions is an important factor and can't be overlooked. I see these glass fishbowls and just think, too hot in summer, to cold in winter, too liable to crack.
I believe technology and innovation in building materials can surmount these sorts of obstacles. This guy is clearly no dummy either. I'm sure he's considered these sorts of needs if not having solved all the problems yet, or talked about them all in this one video. And since BMW can build a car (this was designed by BMW) that can withstand all sorts of climates why can't this home be built in a similar fashion? I'm just playing devils advocate here.
+Angela Siegfried I must have missed the BMW link-can you please reply with the time that this was discussed? In any case, building a car and constructing a tiny house that can withstand a brutal Chicago winter are apples and oranges. And there are plenty of BMW owners that have frozen Popsicles for cars in January that won't start worth a darn here! Have you ever been through a bitter cold Upper Midwest winter? I remember one day when it was -75F and I was at work. We suddenly kept hearing these bizzare explosive noises, but a sound which I had never heard before. All the glass in the revolving doors in the building, which were many, were exploding from the cold. It got down to 35 F at my desk-they couldn't put plywood on fast enough to keep up with all the exploding glass. Your attitude is cavalier and I have no confidence some older Emo wannabe in Austin, Tx has thought of everything it takes to market this product in all climates.
+Angela Siegfried oh, I appreciate the concept, but I just can see that this unit the way it is designed is not suited to all climates in the United States, as I hear him asserting in this video. I love the Tiny House concept-I truly believe there is a place for it in our society. I also work hard for my money, and I am very cautious how I spend it. I just cannot buy into this concept of this Tiny House. From my personal experience, I do not believe it is suited for a cold climate. Can you imagine climbing up those outdoor rack stairs to the top level with your groceries in January?? And having to make multiple trips? I know this is a prototype, but it is glaringly obvious that there is not enough insulation in this unit to make it a feasible place to spend a cold winter. Again, my opinion.
I love it! It would be awesome in Seattle as people cannot afford to rent or own a home. So, we have a terrible homeless crisis and there are some tiny house communities being tested as one solution. Bravo!
Jan Klosowski he says in the video you can totally black out the windows if you want. And that in steps of 5 (I think). So you can also make it like a light frosted glass so you still have light coming in, but also have privacy
i like tiny houses but I don't like this for the many reasons others have mentioned. To be fair it's not terrible, I'm sure some people would like the idea.
I love love love this! I currently live in what is considered a tiny home and the Kasita blows it away! I live in San Antonio and my niece attends UT, next time I am in the city I am going on a search to experience the Kasita. "When you have a sexy box there is a lot of interesting things you can do."
Loved that book! But these are structurally much sounder, no? This guy's an innovator. I noticed that "experts" in tiny homes are unimpressed with the design. I found it fairly inelegant, but he's in beta, and he is taking risks and working with the city to craft innovative low-cost solutions to housing. So stop the hate, okay?
You hit the nail on the head! I found myself rolling my eyes the entire time and thinking this whole spiel would work better for someone who has done absolutely NO research on tiny houses and the possibilities. Not iimpressed.
I recognize your face since I've been watching countless tiny home videos these last two years but this was the first tiny home I really felt a desire to live in. I like the "portable" idea with the stationary wire frames to house them in but don't think that it's a financially viable idea and would likely move from one pod to another before bothering to move a pod to another location. I don't know why you make these films or how you are funded to be able to but I want to thank you. Whether you are a single person doing this as a passion or an employee of a company simply doing your job, I thank you for creating these videos and asking the questions you do that help us all to learn more about what's out there. Seriously though, I would very much like to live in a Kasita if it can be made affordable enough for the majority of the population. I do not require big. I require keeping my cat inside and everything else outside. That's it.
These look like a great way for future governments to shepherd millions of people into clustered cities like many in China. Is that really how people want to live?
Excellent design concept! I really like the high end modern design, that is also affordable. I admire your reasoning for these homes or use of for businesses! I can't say it enough "excellent architecturally/engineering design concept" that is fabulous! I even like the name "CASITAS!!!"
Lost me at IPhone. Your house shouldn't be a trendy hipster phone, that isn't sensible. Style above function? No thanks. I'll wait for the Samsung house.
The iphone was the first phone to successfully put all the things you need for being connected into a tiny square (phone, internet, apps, email, music, etc). Its the same concept, all the things you need for a home all together in a small package
The funny thing is computers and telecommuting was suppose to decentralize business and allow the population to spread out. It seems to have had the opposite effect. FYI - prefab modular construction of multi-family housing has been tried many many times and failed every time. The process becomes more important than the product/people who buy them. Its hard to sell something nobody wants because the engineering of the prefab units takes all the life out of home. Your product looks very sterile.
I was thinking the exact same thing. Just bare metal with no color what so ever. Shipping containers have more personality than these things! They remind me of the grey cubicles you'd see in an office.
Love this idea! Making it open source is especially awesome. Will definitely check it out - I don't think I'm ready to move into a tiny house yet but this seems like a really cool way to do it.
So true! People fight about left/right, bright/dark, but never question or fight the parasites/"powers!" at be who suck the life out of ALL OF US trough theft/"taxation" to make their own life comfortable, while funneling the majority to the banks for their computer digits/debt and interest based money, created by a push of a button, not even a printing press any more these days, where everybody feels so great to "pay" digital...
Hear! Hear! Let's take all those who espouse unrealistically Libertainian ideals and consign them to live in Homer's Springfield, when he was appointed Mayor, lol. Or better yet, just live in the Favellas, buddy. How do you like it now?
***** It has something to do with responsibility. If I don't want my house to collapse - as an example - I better do my homework. I am thankful for all the experience from the past, so we don't make the same mistakes over and over again. If I won't do my homework, my house will collapse, and nature will have taken care of an idiot. If the collapsing house kills my family, I will have to live with it - and that would be dramatic. Therefor EVERYBODY in their right mind would do their homework, without anybody threatening him with fines to transfer funds into indebted city accounts to funnel them to the money creators.
Some of those regulations are there to avoid problems like fires and cholera that we had in the past. Some are the trophies of environmentalists with good intentions. I'd rather put some reasonableness and discretion in the hands of inspectors rather than just throw them all out. For one thing, a traditional home that fails is a blight on the neighborhood; but a tiny home that fails can be hauled off, to be fixed, dismantled, or recycled as appropriate. No dangerous demolition, no eyesore to expensive to correct. And so the code should consider the far less expensive costs should a tiny home not work as intended. I expect a Kasita could just be removed from it's berth and fixed like an auto body shop.
Forced inefficiency to support broke(n) carbon farmed slave populated infrastructure. The Venus Project for youth, free the old. United World Youth Org, a generation, silence inheritance like 1989.
I can see where this would be useful, especially with the disassembling factor of the actual rack. He's right about unused land and developers holding onto land that they hope to turn over later. That particular aspect of our society needs to change. You shouldn't be able to buy urban land if you're not going to use it within 6 months. Otherwise, that land should be owned by the city in the interim. That one dude was right, that this is a design for single-person tech-industry dwellers. I see a lot of people are hung up on the iphone analogy and while I agree, it's a bad comparison, people need to ignore this super hipster rich-guy and look at the functionality--at least he's trying to do something about the problem and not just whining about it. Yes, he's clearly looking to make a business out of this, but he's also trying to solve a problem, this is how businesses function. Fill a niche that's open, and profit. This is the beginning of an idea. No one said this was the finished product or the only one. Competition and competitive ideas will propel this idea into something that people will actually want and love. Some tiny housers want to get away, some want to have affordable living downtown. Everybody is different. I really wish some people in the community would stop saying "Tiny Houses mean this: [insert baseless opinion here]" and then immediately dislike a video because it doesn't conform to their personal vision of tiny life. Personally, I'm the single-tech-based-urban-dweller type. I see lots of potential in this idea, but it's certainly far from being livable at this time. Also, in northern climates... ugh, that glass. So cold. /:
That glass cube is a big time heat collector. That would make your house too damn hot in the 100 degree summers here in Texas. If one is to build sustainable it is counterproductive to depend completely on air conditioning.
SELF-RELIANCE and a STRONG COMMUNITY You missed at the beginning where he talks about the glass darkening (like transition lenses). Still not a good design for most people.
People don't just live in a home, they work and play there too. Some of these tiny homes limit the people who sleep there. If you are sitting in your home and can't use the land on it to grow some food and store it for later you are stuck. You can't take up a production hobby because the size and lack of storage a hobby that might turn into an income producing hobby.
Ann Dennis it's not for everybody. Some people live very minimalistic and they'd be fine with a home this small. I just think it should be half this price. For about $40k more, you could get a 2 bedroom home in a residential neighborhood. I like the idea, although it's not for me; and it's still too expensive of an alternative in my opinion.
Wow We've been following Kasita since they first started building - a great inspiration to have been watching intelligent design - so when I saw that Kirsten had a 20 min video ... 2 great forces together - the video covers so much - thanks - and to naysayers - there is no necessity for people who don't want one to get one - the iPhone metaphor is particularly appropriate in another way - most pundits said it would not take off - When the iPad came out most of the pundits again said it wouldn't take off - except for Apple fanatics then it would be gone in a few months... This will be one of the three key and changing approaches that challenge and disrupt the entropic monopoly of customary defaults that comprises most of the building industry. Great to see the change of emphasis from architects to industrial designers - the intentional design culture has moved forward as most accepted building priorities have stayed tentative and limited to dead ideas. The Open Source frame approach allows so much possibilities for choice, evolution, and development - a way to influence the building industry out of the unconscious rut that has self organized over the last century.
I, really ,really like this kasita but it needs bthtb alittle longer for recessed fireplace between sofa n TV. Then the platform glass area I'd like to convert into bdrm w a sliding door
Cool! Not for everyone, like someone who wants to have a garden with their tiny home, but certainly has some applications. I can see this having some good possibilities for college students especially. I can imagine a parent buying one of these instead of paying for the cost of student housing. Of course the question remains, where to park it. What is the projected cost for a unit. The shower is pretty small though.
Engineered by people who've never lived in a small space. Although I could see hotel chains that might adopt these kinds of units. Take them out and run them through a car wash instead of having staff to clean them between occupants. To much window for the austin region, and a glass floor, who are they kidding? The least noise insulated part street side and all the noise making facilities on the quiet side. I hope they're cheap. The internet guy in a house with no plugs, LoL.
Love it! A little more room coming through kitchen and an L shaped bar in front for extra seating and a shade to pull forward over top of front glass when hot.
Ok how do they plan on sliding these into the racks? It's basically a shipyard at that point, there's 2 kinds of container lifters, a Reach Stacker which is like a crane, and a Container Handler which is like a big forklift. But... neither of those machines can slide a container into a slot sideways. They can only stack on top of an open surface, like another container. Are they going to build a whole new type of lifter to move these?
In an article in Forbes he mentioned the price between a Tesla and a very nice Tesla. Don't know the pricing for Tesla in the US, but I think they are not really cheap... But it's a complete house for 1 person I guess.
Think 150 grand. Way too much. He should get rid of all the fancy glass, use more common materials for the inside, and max this out at 50, starting at 35 for a bare unit.
That guy is so tall he makes the place appear even smaller than it already is! Love the concept though! These could even be transported by train. Like the freighter containers. That would be a cool way to move around!
these are already over seas and have failed pretty bad. im an advocate for small housing but this isnt the answer. the whole point is owning the land.. whats on it is arbitrary. also theres nothing cool about that glass.. matter of fact it gets hot as hell. this guys just not as trendy as hes trying to be.
Casita is a fiberglass trailer company. How can he get away with calling them Casitas? IMHO, this tiny home is too sterile, too white inside, too much metal outside. The glass section reminds me of a zoo enclosure where the animals are on display.
I know what you mean by too sterile but this design has sadly become the standard for modern cheap housing. in my city every student apartment looks like this. some of them bigger and shared by up to 9 people but all of them look clinical and claustrophobic
What he said was "6:43 what's really cool about this glass is that it's electrochromic glass it's a dynamic glass that will start off in a transparent mode like this and then either with an app or controller on the wall or an auto setting to where when the Sun hits it it will dark out so it goes through about five levels of shading to where this can completely black out" so to be clear it does not darken when the sun hits it, he needs to write an app, or put a wall switch, or wire up a sensor, (none of this exists yet), to control the system that applies power to the glass
I love this, I think the idea is awesome. It would be nice to be able to add a second pod to it if you went from a single person to a couple, or could just afford to add to your home.
Ridiculous idea. The structure is the only thing I would have no attachment to. So you have the worst of both worlds - no value and investment of owning land and the expense of moving a tiny structure from one place to another. Not to mention still having to pay rent. If you're moving around, one of the joys is experiencing new environments to live in.
The basic problem is alienation inherent to the capitalist organization of society. So we work and then sit in our cell and then work and then sit in our cell....
Awesome analysis, Romancsociety was much the same, I guess. Now I want to read some history of the ancient world. The more it changes, the more it stays the same, eh?
They say the thing that powers the American dream is a nightmarish fear of failure. I guess if you can afford a glass box in an urban trailer park, you're not living in a cardboard box; so you're a success!
Darrell barron those other, better ideas ( for living in tiny houses")" were just put out to get people turned onto accepting rat pens for housing.. in the end, you will be stacked up in one of 10 mega regions and not allowed to live free. But that is 30 years off.. so, it will be your grandchildren's problem.
Nobody ever includes the price and it's always the most important question to the listener.
Other299 Dude, $140,000?! For something that if I and a girlfriend maybe move into, (BECAUSE WHAT HE SAYS ABOUT BEING A FUCKIN SINGLE BARISTA AND BEING ABLE TO AFFORD ONE OF THESE THINGS IS BS Totally untrue, and disingenuous) we couldn't have kids? You know? It's just like, if you think MODEL T, you think affordable. But when you think, and he mentions, the iPhone, which I have, lol, it starts to make sense unfortunately. This guys trying to make big bucks off of selling this nice-LOOKING, but truly overpriced, OVER-HYPED, Under-Utilitarian 320 sq ft. steel/glass box, and calling it modern. There isn't even a loft? I like the idea you can stack them, but then it's just, RIDICULOUS considering they are 140,000 damn dollars! HONESTLY, cut that shit in half and MAYBE that will be the "solution to the housing crisis," at this point as a barista, I'd need to work for 14 years saving up every penny, I'm 17 now. It's just boloney what this guy is saying. I'd expect more from a coming out of a trash-can living guy turned entrepreneur.
$140,000?! You could buy a GOOD sized apartment for that in the UK. Not some tiny van.
They fail to realise that while we love smart storage and smart lil nick-nacks, we don’t really care about pointless technology. I mean, the dimming windows? Really? Why not just add extra space? Or blinds? Wouldn’t that be way cheaper?
People who need a place to live don’t give a fuck about technology. They just want a decent roof over their head and place to live.
I dno ya’ll I think (as they said in the video) they need to improve it and make different versions.
Natalie Draper it is a V1 prototype my dudes, go easy on it.
The price will be different depending on what you want, where you live, transporting it, materials, fittings ... it is the concept he is trying to sell more than the unit.
They are over priced I use to build the cabinets and the hideaway bed that slides under the kitchen
BRAVO! Finally a mixture of beautiful design and practicality. Anyone building a micro home should take notes. No pointless lofts.
This is absolutely epic and needs to happen. Forward thinking is what we need, this is incredible!
Professor Dumpster is at it again! I was concerned about the Greenhouse Effect when I saw all that glass, but the fact that it darkens is so cool! Love this!
And the glass is not a new technology, and proven durability. Quite some time back, an orchestral hall in Toronto first used it in a large skylight in the hall and it darkens for the performance "curtain".
I love this prefab home idea! Being able to move your home to a different structure (rack) is a major plus. I just hope they'll be able to build these while keeping the prices relatively low. Thanks for the video :)
Brilliant! Thanks Kirsten for another wonderful video! I love the idea of just having your whole house moved somewhere and put into a "rack"!
Fantastic design. The interior is very impressive. I would like to see the "50% larger size" version.
This is amazing and I completely see this becoming part of the future of housing in the US. The idea of modular portable "plug + play" houses is awesome. We need more of this type of idea and innovation in housing.
There does not appear to be an escape route if something in the kitchen catches fire. For that reason, I think the kitchen should be located closer to the glassed in area and the sleeping quarters closer to the door.
Exactly what I was thinking.
If the units are stacked (as is the plan), there would be nowhere to go if a window was made into a door. Additionally, the window is suspended higher than the main floor so there would have to be steps or a ladder which takes away the aesthetics of the building.
Raw Fooder
For some reason my comment didn't @ you, but yeah I agree completely with you. I wouldn't feel comfortable living in one these places without a second way out of it. That is a deathtrap right there. But perhaps things can be flipped around where the kitchen is in a back and then the bathroom and sleeping area is in front of the kitchen. Even trailer homes have two doors, that should be a law in any building.
@Mousehead Studios I thought you were agreeing with Max Powers. Thanks for the clarification!
If they're stacked 10 high, there's no way that a rope ladder is safe. Besides, a rope is unstable in a fire situation.
This is without a doubt the best idea I have seen and I'm totally obsessed with this kind of thing!
Yeah it is totally like an iPhone you're always so terrified that the glass is going to break
Lol
hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
misterOsc
I guess someone will pickup their home and drop it like a cellphone! This glass by law has to be tempered, which means it is difficult to break unless intentionally. The thicker the better, or they can go even more reasonable and have poly glass. The kind that are used for fish tanks!!! Lol
Lmao...
IKR......
I love that the bed pulls out, instead of having a loft.
Technically, there's nothing wrong with this concept. There was nothing technically wrong the thousand other times this was explored in myriad variations. The stumbling-block is culture. Inventors and architects have been trying to industrialize housing for a century and it has always failed because it's not a design or technology problem. The problem is that alternative architecture and construction is inherently disruptive to an economic philosophy that exploits a delusion of architectural permanence upon which our concepts of property are based and which has long been exploited by the finance industry to cultivate dependence. As soon as Mr. Wilson says (paraphrasing) "This is expensive now, but it will be affordable in volume." he's treading down a very well-worn path to making the concept critically dependent upon people--bankers and investors--who systematically created the very problem he's trying to solve. He needs to examine the history of industrialized housing technology, look at the mobile home, the Lustron, the countless prefab modular designs and alternative building systems. Why did they fail, become 'damned' from the presence of mainstream society by class association, or get relegated to use on the edge-of-wilderness? I fear that Mr. Wilson will soon find himself betrayed like so many others.
As an amateur Post-Industrial futurist, proponent of alternative architecture, and the concept of Mobilism, I completely agree with Mr. Wilson's assessment of the trends and the core logic of his design concept. I feel we are, in the long-term, evolving toward a more mobile society with a more Georgist economic philosophy. But the housing, real estate, and finance industries are the chief obstacles to that evolution. The situation at present is neither an accident or a product of nature. Solutions may need to be insurgent.
The automobile industry is not a model for housing. We've been down that road repeatedly and it was a dead-end. That approach is too centralized/massified and thus too easy to obstruct because of the liability of its economy-of-scale. We need to imagine housing as a verb--as an application, not an appliance--and leverage technology and design on empowering the individual in that application, whittling-away at the hegemonies bottom-up and from many angles at once. It's the 21st century. There is no reason a person should not be able to house themselves, by themselves, with ease, personalization, and out-of-pocket. I think the Kasita concept has the right core idea, but at the wrong component scale. I'm in favor of building on a functionally generic 'passive backplane' that enables minimal impact land use without conventional property development. The house should be more like a PC--with, maybe, a new Do-mino as motherboard. But the scale of hardware chosen compels a now untenable 20th century industrial approach. It risks becoming a vertical trailer park--risks becoming 'damned' architecture.
Imagine if you were to do much the same thing at a more human scale of plug-in retrofit. My own approach to the concept of Mobilism has been through the use of transportable, reconfigurable, 'furnitecture' that can apply adaptive reuse to new and old functionally generic structure---and do it without a hundred million dollar investment in production.
Very articulate response with good data to support your argument. High property taxes are big revenue sources for big cities. The big cities won't lower them, and someone has to pay them. Landlords, in whatever form, will pass on that cost to the renter. It's inevitable. PS: You write so well, but please try not to use the word "leverage," especially as a verb. It's a hackneyed expression now, abused by bureaucrats and administrative types, bandied about when they aren't sure what direction their argument is going when they are holding the floor for a moment in a big meeting. You're too good of a thinker to need the word "leverage." ;)
+Eric Hunting. That's a well written critique of the housing industry. I'm in the UK and recognise that much of what you say applies here too.
The application of industrial process to the manufacture of some sort of modular home has been a virtually lifelong interest since a childhood holiday spent in a 20ft by 10ft trailer complete with murphy beds. The park where we stayed was established in the late 1950's when there was a lot of post-war housing system components becoming available secondhand. Some amenity buildings on the park were constructed from two of these systems which were brought in to provide emergency housing to replace conventional housing rendered uninhabitable by neglect or enemy action during WW2. These systems made good use of the materials, production facilities and transport available in a war-shattered economy heavily directed by government.
The political objectives of producing longterm permanent housing in vast quantities led to system building solutions to speed up housebuilding with reduced reliance on skilled site labour. The design of many resulting housing schemes and their systembuild components combined with poor quality control during manufacture and installation which led to immediate problems of habitability, and to later costly remedial works or irreversible failure followed by demolition. This affected public housing projects in the main as private housing developments were generally of lowrise brick and mortar construction. The private housing market still revolves around this form of construction and perpetuates it despite the absurdities of workers still standing in the open air placing one brick upon the other to produce the structural shell of a home while robots have been assembling car bodyshells for 40 years.
The weathering properties of brick do reinforce the delusion or illusion of architectural permanence for the time being in the UK, and the history of landholding probably gives Georgism less traction than in N.America. Land use policy and building codes do discourage individual insurgent solutions especially in the UK with its small landmass and scarce wilderness. Individuals could buy into co-operative entities of sufficient mass to be able to employ professional staff who negociate with public authorities and funding institutions in the provision and operation of sites to accommodate modular mobile housing units on the ground or in a rack system.
The shipping container in its 10,20,30 and 40ft variations would seem to me to be a good basis for modular housing that can be easily relocated. There is already a whole insurgency in existence which exploits the virtues of these mass produced 'motherboards' to produce personalised homes. Economies of scale do bring these units close to out-of-pocket affordability. The instant structural shell then allows personalisation to proceed at an out-of -pocket rate of expenditure if needs be. Incorporation of units into a racking system would obviously have implications for fire safety and sound insulation would and necessitate design codes being implemented and adhered to.
eric you spent to much time in school, you need to go to a forest and sit down and reconect with nature , that is a humans comfort zone
Eric Hunting
I solved it by living in my minivan
Terry Frederickson
Yes. Human structures date fast. Trees don’t
This is the most intelligent design I've seen out there in the tiny house world if we are thinking about solutions for the masses. I love this idea, and I love the guy presenting it. Go, brother, go!
The glass floor is dumb for stackable units. Are you going to want to walk into one wearing a skirt?
Why yes, yes I will. This is a good opportunity to get into cross-dressing.
+Kevin Hornbuckle ..no kilt?
These will sell well in Scotland.
good point!!! I never even thought of that.
Grow up.
Extra perfect & clever arrangement of interior! So elegant- that glass part of tiny house!
This raises more questions than it answers. If you stack 100 of these in a confined cityscape with limited light, you basically just have some very small apartments, with glass balconies looking straight into the neighbors balcony. What makes tiny houses interesting for most, is that you might have an option to put it in an attractive environment and some flexibility to maybe move it around, but even if you stack 100 of these, the land price for an attractive position would by fare be more than people would be willing to pay for this size of living. The whole idea of being able to take your home with you, seems like an utopi. If these a stacked by the 100's in a confined lot, I can't even imagine how to move one section on 5th floor out and move it to another location, at least not without it being extremely costly. Also what's the point, if you have to move it to a spot where the boxes are the same. Easier to just move the people no?
Not sure about US laws, but guessing it cannot be seen as real estate if it's moveable with whatever legal challenges this can have.
The idea of making mass scale tiny houses for better quality and lower prices are fantastic, the rest is a spin inside an artists head
Kirsten, thank you so much for all the work put into bringing this movement further into the spotlight! This is truly revolutionary:) Namaste-
So this guy basically invented shipping containers that won't stack without a huge, ridiculous racking system? REVOLUTIONARY!
5000 hours into reinventing and worsening shipping container .. this guy is real PhD. :-)
The rack is a MUCH better idea than stacking shipping containers for this use, because if you take one out that's not on the top of the pile, you don't have to take out all the ones above it beforehand.
"Think before you ask these questions, Mitch."
iliketoUSEmybrain017
iliketoUSEmybrain0
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A racking system is critical because that allows you to only move the unit in question (and not the units stacked above or next to it). You also wouldn't want to build from a shipping container if you don't need the stacking ability (which is one of very few positive attributes that a shipping container offers).
I used to be a big fan of the shipping container homes, but when you look deeper into it, it makes more sense to just build a pre-fab home the size of a shipping container. (If the idea is to stack or ship them). Those corrugated steel walls are the worst possible starting point. Steel is a great conductor, and add corrugation and now you have even more conductive surface area. No bueno.
I absolutely love this. This is one of the most efficient and beautiful tiny spaces I have ever seen. Thank you for that. I am currently in the market for buying "unusable" land in Los Angeles and finding the right, super affordable home to place on it is a challenge. I would love one of these. I wish you so much success.
Already doing this "plug-n-play" concept in China. These frame structures are pre-built (along with entire cities), just waiting for the population to move there and fill it (kind of spooky when you tour the entire city that's empty). When workers arrive in the urban center pick out their "model" and then it 's outfitted and craned into the frame high-rise.
I think this is the best design I have ever seen. I love this.
I feel like he is siting in his driveway all the time because hes making sure no one comes around with a brick.
Tisha I guess he's the living expression of living in a glass house.
Kirsten thank you so much for your videos. I am a nursing student and love to take a break and watch your films. Love the content.
Transportation of these is the only drawback. anything over 102" wide is an "Oversized load" $3.50 to $4.00 per mile along with a rigging crew and crane on both ends of the trip. This does not mean that it will cost $40 to move it 10 miles. The milage rate is on add on to the vehicle use rate of about $1000.
10' wide is an Oversized load not needing escort vehicles following in front of the truck.
I would imagine if these are mass produced the manufacturer would be best to own their own special crane device and transport trucks.
Thanks Greg for those details. I had no idea about these costs and when something becomes "oversized".
I would think someone will see the need to open a transport service specifically for the Kasita. A lot of the cost to move is the company knowing you will pay the fee because you have to, bt I am sure someone will do it for less so they can secure that business space.
+Kirsten Dirksen It still translates to a great idea because really how often do people move?
if put on wheels like an RV and going with the non-stacked way of living in one of these is probably the best way to own one. Or, without wheels it would be identical to people that own and sometimes pay to move a traditional Mobil home.
I think that these are really cool. Modern thinking is good.
.. they could make a base with a cab that clips onto a Kasita and makes it into an RV
I don't think he mentioned dimensions, but these are POD dimensions (the containers people pack to move their stuff):PODS® containers come in 3 sizes (sizes are approximate): 7 foot container: 7'x7'x8', typically holds 1 room* 12 foot container: 12'x8'x8', typically holds 2-3 rooms. 16 foot container: 16'x8'x8', typically holds 3-4 rooms.
Moving those costs thousands of dollars depending on distance, but it's a lot more convenient if your moving pod is also your apartment. Financially, you save on deposit and first month rent fees if you own the unit or rent through a company that leases the unit separate from the land.
This is an incredibly good idea...I am happy we have people thinking about these issues. Very well done sir.
the big guy who talked about a shoe box would not fit into the shower area. can you make doorways larger? is there a 'handicaped' version?? wheelchairable??
Yes, in the interview he mentioned an accessible unit.
All houses / home should be accessible.
ty
This is the prototype. As they develop the idea, and also, as they begin manufacturing in volume, bringing costs down, they will be able to make units that meet different specific needs. He also mentioned being able to make them 50% larger and they would still be able to be moved via semi.
@Eye : Nope... by making a house accessible you need to sacrafice something else. Not a problem when the customer would like to have an accessible house, but one who doesn't need an accessible house should not be forced to buy an accessible one, it's a personal choice and you take your house with you.
It would be the same as demanding that all cars should be wheel-chair friendly....
This is absolutely brilliant. Godspeed on getting these off the ground (as it were). Really great idea.
The design I love. Would like a non glass floor option. Clean zen lines, well laid out, and NO loft bed area to tackle. And here in the Sierras we would do 100% off grid solar.
I'd also go for a non-glass floor option, especially with upper and lower neighbors, for the sake of privacy.
I think rotating the direction of each floor's racks would also help a bit with privacy, too.
Some possibilities in the design of the racks could do some really interesting things, like:
1) Make the A/C exhaust out the back, toward a central heat-capture column, and use that waste heat to generate some electricity.
2) Integrate with the latest vertical farming technology in the rack for hyper-local food. Go next door to pick the greens for your meal. The latest innovations in this use plants suspended, rather than in dirt, and the nutrients are sprayed on them, using 95% less water than normal.
3) Put solar/wind generation on the top of the rack to generate local power.
On a more serious note, permaculture like principals must be integrated into this system to make it truly 21st. Century
Beth Grant-DeRoos uh no, you're not going to be allowed to go into the Sierras.. that's the whole point of getting people on board with the Tiny House idealouge.. then, when people think it's cool, we'll ship them all off to one of 10 mega regions, packaging them into tiny shoe box stack and pack housing..making the rest of the nation ( buffer zones) restricted and off limits to humans.. jeesh.. how come no one has read Agenda 21 and Agenda 2030???
Of all the containers like tiny home ideas videos, i loved this one.
This is terrific!! Great idea! Worth checking into!
Watching this 8 years after the video came out!
To this date this is one of the best tiny homes solutions Ive seen!
And the most sustainable solution due to being able to swap out of the structure and lot it is on to another structure and lot instead of building a new structure each time you need to ore want to move due to new workplace etc.
I would really love a follow up video on this concept
This does nothing to solve the problem of urban affordability. It just puts urban dwellers into even smaller boxes, and the rack space will cost more and more as demand goes up. And although you might own the module, you will have to rent or mortgage the space like a condo or coop and pay some form of maintenance fee. The answer to the problem is to stop playing that game and get people out of the cities. Most people would consider it cruel to put a cat in an apartment that small let alone even a toy breed of dog. So why is it ok for humans to live in such an environment.
It reminds me of the saying: "painting yourself into a corner".
I know what you mean; I fear the tiny house movement could easily end in people paying they same as they pay now for 2000 square feet, only to live in 200. You look at videos of tiny apartments in big cities like Paris, New York, or Tokyo and they are already there. I've even seen a cable show that showed a million dollar tiny house in Sydney. A million, for 600 square feet.
Yeah, once he told that landowner he could dissemble the rack to build a hotel, I thought, "Wow! Doesn't that make living in a kasita very precarious?!". For the landowner, his ideal is to charge rent to the owners of these tiny modules until he generates enough profit to build something that he'll generate more profit from- which seems totally out of line with the tiny house movement
New housing is all about making money in the US. That's just the way it works. I can't imagine investors giving capital to a novel project like this if the entire goal is to make the final product very affordable. All the high end stuff in the inside shows that these need to be high end (expensive) in order to make economic sense. Affordable housing in the US will always be limited to old apartments and houses in less desirable areas. Nothing new will ever be affordable without government subsidies and rent control laws.
Perhaps a solution would be for people to pool their money, buy a piece of land together and build a tiny house community. That way they could keep the costs down. It doesn't have to be tiny houses.
An outside management company could operate it, that way if a noisy neighbor bothers you, someone can handle it for you and keep the peace. They could also handle maintenance, such as road upkeep.
The tiny hose movement is very exciting. There are in fact many barriers to placement opportunities. I love the construction considerations you have given. Great project - Good luck - Julie
''when u gotta sexy box there is a lotta things u can do'' this dude is a fuckin trip
My inner 12yo came giggling out at that
not quite what he said, nor did I think his intention was for any innuendo
15:00 mark for those that wanna hearth-cam.com/video/3jF9ftC6U0Y/w-d-xo.htmlm2s
I think I would feel like an item on display with that large glass area, since it would catch the eye of onlookers because of its industrial and new look
I love tiny houses and most of Kirsten's videos, but this idea... what a ridiculously impractical way to design and build a small apartment complex. 70 boxes stacked up in a steel frame means 70 individual AC units, 70 individual plumbing systems, 70 individual heating systems. 70 roofs. More practical to build a regular (micro) apartment building in the area and set up a flexible ownership model, somewhere between condos and a co-op, so people don't have to save or borrow tens of thousands of dollars to move in, but while they're living there they can build some equity (instead of just renting a place).
You're exactly right! Too many a/c units needed in this design. Construction isn't practical....And why aren't condos, as you've described, already more affordable? Because the land is too expensive, and the city/state taxes the land too much. Property taxes in dense cities are extremely high. Property owners who rent out units pass along the high cost to the renter, just to be able to make ends meet.
This was a great little viewing session. Good idea. Rock on! Thanks for sending us the link.
I just found out that these cost $119,000 per unit. Those of you who were skeptical that this is a solution to high rent- you were right!
This isn't 119 000 USD it'S 139 000 USD... INSANE!
if they cut out some of the high end gadgets and reduce the price to 30k it would be great. how much does the rack cost? and could you combine units for families?
That price will drop dramatically when/if this takes off. It likely costs that to build one, but like he said, if you build 100 or 1,000 that cost goes way down per unit.
I remember seeing about the dumpster. Here I love the bed solution as I'm with you when it comes to not wanting to make the bed.
Here in the Midwest winter temperatures can get as low as -75F with the wind chill. My wedding day (December 9, 1995) broke all records at -55F. It was such a bummer! It it had been 45F the day before. In the summer it can easily reach 105F-not factoring in the high humidity, so the actual heat index is even higher. Those walls look mighty thin, and a mini split wouldn't even put a dent in the weather we have here. I'm really not trying to rain on anyone's parade-I am just trying to be a realist. Say I sunk my hard earned cash into one of these units, with the thought I would live in one here for a few years, and then maybe retire to Florida and take it with me. Besides the fact I can see from the prototype there cannot possibly be enough insulation, our close to 200 degree Farenheit potential swing in weather per year causes profound expansion and contraction of all building materials. If selling Kasita's on a nationwide basis, that would have to be factored into consideration.
I think you make an excellent point. Housing construction is very personal and dependent on location and climate. Not sure if this is being considered in the design and construction of these modules. Expansion and contraction based on wide temperature fluctuations is a big part of home construction. How different materials respond to different climates and weather conditions is an important factor and can't be overlooked. I see these glass fishbowls and just think, too hot in summer, to cold in winter, too liable to crack.
I believe technology and innovation in building materials can surmount these sorts of obstacles. This guy is clearly no dummy either. I'm sure he's considered these sorts of needs if not having solved all the problems yet, or talked about them all in this one video.
And since BMW can build a car (this was designed by BMW) that can withstand all sorts of climates why can't this home be built in a similar fashion? I'm just playing devils advocate here.
+Angela Siegfried I must have missed the BMW link-can you please reply with the time that this was discussed? In any case, building a car and constructing a tiny house that can withstand a brutal Chicago winter are apples and oranges. And there are plenty of BMW owners that have frozen Popsicles for cars in January that won't start worth a darn here! Have you ever been through a bitter cold Upper Midwest winter? I remember one day when it was -75F and I was at work. We suddenly kept hearing these bizzare explosive noises, but a sound which I had never heard before. All the glass in the revolving doors in the building, which were many, were exploding from the cold. It got down to 35 F at my desk-they couldn't put plywood on fast enough to keep up with all the exploding glass. Your attitude is cavalier and I have no confidence some older Emo wannabe in Austin, Tx has thought of everything it takes to market this product in all climates.
I'm from Chicago so yes I'm aware.
It is entirely your prerogative to not appreciate this concept.
+Angela Siegfried oh, I appreciate the concept, but I just can see that this unit the way it is designed is not suited to all climates in the United States, as I hear him asserting in this video. I love the Tiny House concept-I truly believe there is a place for it in our society. I also work hard for my money, and I am very cautious how I spend it. I just cannot buy into this concept of this Tiny House. From my personal experience, I do not believe it is suited for a cold climate. Can you imagine climbing up those outdoor rack stairs to the top level with your groceries in January?? And having to make multiple trips? I know this is a prototype, but it is glaringly obvious that there is not enough insulation in this unit to make it a feasible place to spend a cold winter. Again, my opinion.
I love it! It would be awesome in Seattle as people cannot afford to rent or own a home. So, we have a terrible homeless crisis and there are some tiny house communities being tested as one solution. Bravo!
It seems to lack one of the most important features of home: privacy.
Jan Klosowski he says in the video you can totally black out the windows if you want. And that in steps of 5 (I think). So you can also make it like a light frosted glass so you still have light coming in, but also have privacy
install vertical blinds where you can adjust angle of light coming in
alpha heck, you can put standard blinds in & just have an adjustable sky light. You’ll achieve the same thing as well.
Ayla ASMR He didnt show it, so Im still backing that "no privacy" claim lol
He sed its like i phone . So there is no privacy
I would SOOoooo use that window cube to grow plants!
This idea offers many incentives over a typical 900 square foot house cost but very little in comparison to a 200 square foot RV.
Very slick - some excellent solutions in all your videos Kirsten. Thank you for posting.
i like tiny houses but I don't like this for the many reasons others have mentioned.
To be fair it's not terrible, I'm sure some people would like the idea.
I love love love this! I currently live in what is considered a tiny home and the Kasita blows it away! I live in San Antonio and my niece attends UT, next time I am in the city I am going on a search to experience the Kasita. "When you have a sexy box there is a lot of interesting things you can do."
Vertical RV park? Did this guy get inspiration from Ready Player One
Exactly what I was thinking!
I was just thinking this!
Exactly what came to mind!
Loved that book! But these are structurally much sounder, no? This guy's an innovator. I noticed that "experts" in tiny homes are unimpressed with the design. I found it fairly inelegant, but he's in beta, and he is taking risks and working with the city to craft innovative low-cost solutions to housing. So stop the hate, okay?
Thanks! I knew the concept was familiar but could not place it! (Great book!)
this system is brilliant! you could use this system in disaster stricken areas to house people quickly, really hope to see more of this around.
He sounds like he is his own biggest fan 😒
😂😂
You hit the nail on the head! I found myself rolling my eyes the entire time and thinking this whole spiel would work better for someone who has done absolutely NO research on tiny houses and the possibilities. Not iimpressed.
LAUGHS He really does like himself.
He does think a lot of his pod village. Typical hipster-huckster.
I recognize your face since I've been watching countless tiny home videos these last two years but this was the first tiny home I really felt a desire to live in. I like the "portable" idea with the stationary wire frames to house them in but don't think that it's a financially viable idea and would likely move from one pod to another before bothering to move a pod to another location.
I don't know why you make these films or how you are funded to be able to but I want to thank you. Whether you are a single person doing this as a passion or an employee of a company simply doing your job, I thank you for creating these videos and asking the questions you do that help us all to learn more about what's out there.
Seriously though, I would very much like to live in a Kasita if it can be made affordable enough for the majority of the population. I do not require big. I require keeping my cat inside and everything else outside. That's it.
This reminds me of the 'pod' that Bruce Willis lived on the 5th element movie... cool concept
Jonatan Medina that was movie .= predictive programing. you're seriously getting to see the future.
This is one of the people who are changing the world for the better.
These look like a great way for future governments to shepherd millions of people into clustered cities like many in China. Is that really how people want to live?
Exactly my thinking
Excellent design concept! I really like the high end modern design, that is also affordable. I admire your reasoning for these homes or use of for businesses! I can't say it enough "excellent architecturally/engineering design concept" that is fabulous! I even like the name "CASITAS!!!"
Lost me at IPhone. Your house shouldn't be a trendy hipster phone, that isn't sensible. Style above function? No thanks. I'll wait for the Samsung house.
I'll wait for the Landline home. Not big on mobile homes.
The iphone was the first phone to successfully put all the things you need for being connected into a tiny square (phone, internet, apps, email, music, etc). Its the same concept, all the things you need for a home all together in a small package
There already are Samsung apartments..
Actually the Samsung House will probably explode
+Hubert Farnsworth thats pretty funny. Very witty.
Brilliant idea, great video! thanks for sharing wonderful architecture on your channel.
The funny thing is computers and telecommuting was suppose to decentralize business and allow the population to spread out. It seems to have had the opposite effect.
FYI - prefab modular construction of multi-family housing has been tried many many times and failed every time. The process becomes more important than the product/people who buy them. Its hard to sell something nobody wants because the engineering of the prefab units takes all the life out of home. Your product looks very sterile.
I was thinking the exact same thing. Just bare metal with no color what so ever. Shipping containers have more personality than these things! They remind me of the grey cubicles you'd see in an office.
Love this idea! Making it open source is especially awesome. Will definitely check it out - I don't think I'm ready to move into a tiny house yet but this seems like a really cool way to do it.
Permits, licensing, and code equate to theft. Individuals should organize and openly disallow the plunder.
So true! People fight about left/right, bright/dark, but never question or fight the parasites/"powers!" at be who suck the life out of ALL OF US trough theft/"taxation" to make their own life comfortable, while funneling the majority to the banks for their computer digits/debt and interest based money, created by a push of a button, not even a printing press any more these days, where everybody feels so great to "pay" digital...
Hear! Hear! Let's take all those who espouse unrealistically Libertainian ideals and consign them to live in Homer's Springfield, when he was appointed Mayor, lol. Or better yet, just live in the Favellas, buddy. How do you like it now?
*****
It has something to do with responsibility. If I don't want my house to collapse - as an example - I better do my homework. I am thankful for all the experience from the past, so we don't make the same mistakes over and over again. If I won't do my homework, my house will collapse, and nature will have taken care of an idiot. If the collapsing house kills my family, I will have to live with it - and that would be dramatic. Therefor EVERYBODY in their right mind would do their homework, without anybody threatening him with fines to transfer funds into indebted city accounts to funnel them to the money creators.
Some of those regulations are there to avoid problems like fires and cholera that we had in the past. Some are the trophies of environmentalists with good intentions. I'd rather put some reasonableness and discretion in the hands of inspectors rather than just throw them all out.
For one thing, a traditional home that fails is a blight on the neighborhood; but a tiny home that fails can be hauled off, to be fixed, dismantled, or recycled as appropriate. No dangerous demolition, no eyesore to expensive to correct. And so the code should consider the far less expensive costs should a tiny home not work as intended.
I expect a Kasita could just be removed from it's berth and fixed like an auto body shop.
Forced inefficiency to support broke(n) carbon farmed slave populated infrastructure. The Venus Project for youth, free the old. United World Youth Org, a generation, silence inheritance like 1989.
this is probably the most innovative thing i've ever seen
Apparently not innovated enough, because the company went defunct in 2018.
cool concept but lol with "vertical RV park. Accidental reference to Ready Player One? A bit of a dystopian analogy!
Love this idea. I hope the company is a huge success then idea will integrate into mainstream faster....
I can see where this would be useful, especially with the disassembling factor of the actual rack. He's right about unused land and developers holding onto land that they hope to turn over later. That particular aspect of our society needs to change. You shouldn't be able to buy urban land if you're not going to use it within 6 months. Otherwise, that land should be owned by the city in the interim. That one dude was right, that this is a design for single-person tech-industry dwellers.
I see a lot of people are hung up on the iphone analogy and while I agree, it's a bad comparison, people need to ignore this super hipster rich-guy and look at the functionality--at least he's trying to do something about the problem and not just whining about it. Yes, he's clearly looking to make a business out of this, but he's also trying to solve a problem, this is how businesses function. Fill a niche that's open, and profit.
This is the beginning of an idea. No one said this was the finished product or the only one. Competition and competitive ideas will propel this idea into something that people will actually want and love.
Some tiny housers want to get away, some want to have affordable living downtown. Everybody is different. I really wish some people in the community would stop saying "Tiny Houses mean this: [insert baseless opinion here]" and then immediately dislike a video because it doesn't conform to their personal vision of tiny life.
Personally, I'm the single-tech-based-urban-dweller type. I see lots of potential in this idea, but it's certainly far from being livable at this time. Also, in northern climates... ugh, that glass. So cold. /:
LOVE the bed stowing solution!
That glass cube is a big time heat collector. That would make your house too damn hot in the 100 degree summers here in Texas. If one is to build sustainable it is counterproductive to depend completely on air conditioning.
SELF-RELIANCE and a STRONG COMMUNITY
You missed at the beginning where he talks about the glass darkening (like transition lenses). Still not a good design for most people.
Beautiful, really love the bed under the floor!
the gang graffiti out front is a nice touch
Yeah, it shows that guy's tunnel vision.
Good luck. That looks like a pretty good overall idea in the tiny house space.
People don't just live in a home, they work and play there too. Some of these tiny homes limit the people who sleep there. If you are sitting in your home and can't use the land on it to grow some food and store it for later you are stuck. You can't take up a production hobby because the size and lack of storage a hobby that might turn into an income producing hobby.
Ann Dennis it's not for everybody. Some people live very minimalistic and they'd be fine with a home this small. I just think it should be half this price. For about $40k more, you could get a 2 bedroom home in a residential neighborhood. I like the idea, although it's not for me; and it's still too expensive of an alternative in my opinion.
Wow We've been following Kasita since they first started building - a great inspiration to have been watching intelligent design - so when I saw that Kirsten had a 20 min video ... 2 great forces together - the video covers so much - thanks - and to naysayers - there is no necessity for people who don't want one to get one - the iPhone metaphor is particularly appropriate in another way - most pundits said it would not take off - When the iPad came out most of the pundits again said it wouldn't take off - except for Apple fanatics then it would be gone in a few months... This will be one of the three key and changing approaches that challenge and disrupt the entropic monopoly of customary defaults that comprises most of the building industry.
Great to see the change of emphasis from architects to industrial designers - the intentional design culture has moved forward as most accepted building priorities have stayed tentative and limited to dead ideas.
The Open Source frame approach allows so much possibilities for choice, evolution, and development - a way to influence the building industry out of the unconscious rut that has self organized over the last century.
It would be awesome if this had solar panels and like a tesla power wall
Super idea! I love the rack idea!!
Nice, but I want the Shire, not postmodern Germany. I want Soil, Woods, Plants, Trolls.
I, really ,really like this kasita but it needs bthtb alittle longer for recessed fireplace between sofa n TV. Then the platform glass area I'd like to convert into bdrm w a sliding door
minimalism is cool!!!
Cool! Not for everyone, like someone who wants to have a garden with their tiny home, but certainly has some applications. I can see this having some good possibilities for college students especially. I can imagine a parent buying one of these instead of paying for the cost of student housing. Of course the question remains, where to park it. What is the projected cost for a unit. The shower is pretty small though.
I cannot stand this guy, BTW they want $120,000 for this unit and he says it's a way to solve the housing crisis. GTFO !
He's an arrogant arsehole, he can fuck right off with that price! Build your own, better in everyday for less than half the price
I doubt you could build it cheaper. You would need an architect, electrician, plumber, builder plus you need somewhere to put it.
That's about $500/mo mortgage plus insur/gov't prop tax. Hi end finish
@@Feedback4Utoday plus rack rental or land
Coffee shops must pay very well in his world to be able to afford to live in the oversized dumpster.
This is right on the money. Pretty smart guy with a good plan.
Engineered by people who've never lived in a small space. Although I could see hotel chains that might adopt these kinds of units. Take them out and run them through a car wash instead of having staff to clean them between occupants. To much window for the austin region, and a glass floor, who are they kidding? The least noise insulated part street side and all the noise making facilities on the quiet side. I hope they're cheap. The internet guy in a house with no plugs, LoL.
Love it! A little more room coming through kitchen and an L shaped bar in front for extra seating and a shade to pull forward over top of front glass when hot.
Look up "Austin Hipster" in the dictionary and you get a picture of this guy, LMAO
omfug lol
Ok how do they plan on sliding these into the racks? It's basically a shipyard at that point, there's 2 kinds of container lifters, a Reach Stacker which is like a crane, and a Container Handler which is like a big forklift. But... neither of those machines can slide a container into a slot sideways. They can only stack on top of an open surface, like another container. Are they going to build a whole new type of lifter to move these?
Great concept, but if you charge $139,000 just for the house, it defeats the entire purpose.
Love it! Beautiful & a must for this Vet
How Much $$$$$
In an article in Forbes he mentioned the price between a Tesla and a very nice Tesla. Don't know the pricing for Tesla in the US, but I think they are not really cheap... But it's a complete house for 1 person I guess.
Think 150 grand. Way too much. He should get rid of all the fancy glass, use more common materials for the inside, and max this out at 50, starting at 35 for a bare unit.
That guy is so tall he makes the place appear even smaller than it already is!
Love the concept though! These could even be transported by train. Like the freighter containers. That would be a cool way to move around!
these are already over seas and have failed pretty bad. im an advocate for small housing but this isnt the answer. the whole point is owning the land.. whats on it is arbitrary. also theres nothing cool about that glass.. matter of fact it gets hot as hell. this guys just not as trendy as hes trying to be.
How does a sealed metal and glass box perform during a hot Austin summer?
Casita is a fiberglass trailer company. How can he get away with calling them Casitas? IMHO, this tiny home is too sterile, too white inside, too much metal outside. The glass section reminds me of a zoo enclosure where the animals are on display.
It starts with a K, not a C.
Thanks for the clarification.
I know what you mean by too sterile but this design has sadly become the standard for modern cheap housing. in my city every student apartment looks like this. some of them bigger and shared by up to 9 people but all of them look clinical and claustrophobic
I think he said the glass goes dark when you run an electrical current through it (not photochromatic glass)
What he said was "6:43 what's really cool about this glass is that it's electrochromic glass it's a dynamic glass that will start off in a transparent mode like this and then either with an app or controller on the wall or an auto setting to where when the Sun hits it it will dark out
so it goes through about five levels of shading to where this can completely black out"
so to be clear it does not darken when the sun hits it,
he needs to write an app, or put a wall switch, or wire up a sensor, (none of this exists yet), to control the system that applies power to the glass
I love this, I think the idea is awesome. It would be nice to be able to add a second pod to it if you went from a single person to a couple, or could just afford to add to your home.
Ridiculous idea. The structure is the only thing I would have no attachment to. So you have the worst of both worlds - no value and investment of owning land and the expense of moving a tiny structure from one place to another. Not to mention still having to pay rent. If you're moving around, one of the joys is experiencing new environments to live in.
Love the greenery around the kasita. Urban 'forests' should be the way to go.
That sucks , after working full time u get to go live in that tinny fart box
I don't mind smelling my own farts.💩
The basic problem is alienation inherent to the capitalist organization of society. So we work and then sit in our cell and then work and then sit in our cell....
Fart box good for lazy pissed off tweekers vandalizing cars in the parking lot
Awesome analysis, Romancsociety was much the same, I guess. Now I want to read some history of the ancient world. The more it changes, the more it stays the same, eh?
They say the thing that powers the American dream is a nightmarish fear of failure. I guess if you can afford a glass box in an urban trailer park, you're not living in a cardboard box; so you're a success!
Beautiful. Love the fit and finish
there are thousands of different kinds of tiny homes,he seems not to know that somehow.this 1 is interesting but does not make effective use of space
Darrell barron those other, better ideas ( for living in tiny houses")" were just put out to get people turned onto accepting rat pens for housing.. in the end, you will be stacked up in one of 10 mega regions and not allowed to live free. But that is 30 years off.. so, it will be your grandchildren's problem.
I reallly really like this idea!!!!! I love the idea of transporting you home too!
Reminds me of battery hens.
Bill Hollingsworth EXACTLY.. glad to see one awake 🐑. look into Agenda 21!
love the way you think!!we need more like you...