The first famous tiny house we will look at is the Minim house. It was built in 2013 and has easily become one of the most iconic tiny homes in the United States. The 210 square foot Minim tiny house was designed by Brian Levy and Foundry Architects. This tiny home has no loft or walls inside, but amazing vaulted ceilings that create a spacious feel. The Minim has won 3 American Architects’ awards for innovative design, which has never been done by any other micro house before. That is thanks to the amazing architects that were able to create dual purpose furnishings and spaces, like creating a couch that can also double as a bed. Also, under that couch they have created enough storage space for a 40-gallon water tank and water filter. The minim model is available for purchase through the company’s website and prices range anywhere from $40,000 to $80,000.
Another famous tiny house is “Tre Livelli” which is Italian for three levels. This tiny studio retreat was designed by architects at Studioata in 2006 and is in northern Italy above the seaside town of Alassio, Liguria. The architects also took advantage of the seaside view and added a full-height window that separates the living area from the terrace. This allows for a view of the sea from any point in the studio. The studio has three different ground levels to help ensure that there would be a view from anywhere in the house. These raised levels also helped create more storage by the architects adding drawers and storage bins built into the floor between the living and kitchen area. The kitchen area in an intermediate level between the bedroom and living area. It is built on a raised storage floor and allows for the cabinets to be built into the bedroom level floor. The countertops can be accessed when a section of the bedroom floor is flipped up and then becomes a backsplash.
The third and final famous tiny house we will be featuring is Renzo Piano’s design Diogene. This design was named Diogene after a Greek philosopher who rejected luxury and chose to live in a barrel. This tiny house has a total floor area of just 7.5 square meters and is intended as a self-sufficient hideaway used for work or a weekend getaway. Diogene is located on the Vitra campus in Weil am Rhein, Germany. The completed cabin is presented as an experimental concept rather than a finished product. The exterior is made from aluminum panels to protect it from the elements with solar panels on the roof to provide the structure with electricity. The tiny house also collects rain water and includes a biological toilet to complete all the necessities. The interior space is equipped with a pull-out sofa, a folding table located under the window, a shower, toilet, and a kitchen. The best part about this tiny house is that once fully assembled and furnished it can be loaded up and transported anywhere.
