A futuristic studio house in Coachella Valley, California, that looks like it's straight out of The Jetsons proves that tiny house living can be spacious with a little ingenuity.
The revolutionary compact home, called the Studio House project, is the brainchild of New York-based architectural design group LMTLS. As the digital magazine Designboom reported, what makes the tiny home concept stand out are two massive movable wall panels that allow for indoor-outdoor living, helping residents feel like they're part of the desert ecosystem.
The walls, built from rammed earth and steel beams, are supported by an overhead steel structure and move along a sliding track, filling the home with fresh air and ample sunlight. The futuristic design puts a modern spin on the studio home without detracting from the cozy vibe of compact living.
Plus, the home comes with plenty of eco-friendly features, such as rooftop solar panels and battery storage, a Solatube Tubular Daylighting system to bring natural lighting into the space, an electric water heater, and a rainwater harvesting tank, which can provide a reliable, clean water source during droughts.
The kitchen, bathroom, and storage areas are all constructed from concrete and rammed earth to reduce the home's environmental impact and complement the sleek, minimalist design. While the Studio House project is only about 270 square feet, according to Designboom, the open-air living facilitated by the movable walls makes the space feel much larger.
A bonus of the innovative design is that it encourages connection with neighbors, something that many modern suburban homes lack. Although it's not a real home, the model could provide a blueprint for other developers as more homeowners show interest in living sustainably and having a sense of community.
Passive and net-zero homes like this one are also becoming popular because they drastically reduce energy use and, therefore, homeowners' electric bills. In fact, some passive homes produce more energy than they consume, meaning you can actually make money by selling electricity back to the grid.
As passive homes become the norm rather than the exception, they can help communities become more resilient against extreme weather brought on by rising temperatures. Since they don't produce pollution and rely solely on renewable energy sources, they can potentially cool the planet and contribute to a cleaner, greener future.
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