In Canada’s Yukon territory, where temperatures can regularly dip as low as -58 °F, a tiny case-study house is a model of efficiency even in the harshest climate: Laird Herbert of Leaf House Small Space Design and Build recently completed the third iteration of his tiny house design.
While the house only occupies a 97-square-foot footprint, it’s packed with construction innovations that keep it warm. Among them: Panasonic Vacuum Insulated Panels with R value, or heat flow resistance capacity, of R68 in the ceiling and floor; the 90%-efficient Lunos E2 Heat Recovery Ventilator; and quad pane windows. To keep the house easily mobile, Herbert kept the entire structure under 5,000 pounds with smart material choices: foam sheathing rather than conventional, metal mesh open-joint siding, and foam backer board under an ultra-thin slab of concrete for a lightweight (but chic) kitchen countertop. And, of course — as the classic small space interior design scheme goes — a mirrored wall and a murphy bed.
Images via Leaf House
Currently, the Leaf House’s performance is being monitored with energy and temperature sensors as part of a six-month case study on cold-climate living. It’s only the latest and most experimental iteration of Herbert’s Leaf House project, which he started in 2011. Plans for constructing version.2, slightly larger at 160 square feet, can actually be purchased online.
h/t Gizmag
