A Colorado company builds 'Smart Cabins' out of Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) that can be set up in a matter of hours for a sweet off-grid house or weekend getaway. The company claims up to 30% to 70% energy savings for their octagonal yurts (built with R-28 walls and R-42 roof panels) and a temperature difference between inside and out of over 35° F with no internal heat source. That's a pretty substantial savings in both money and energy, and you'll probably be the only one in your neighborhood with an octagonal yurt, which gets extra points for style.
Using SIPs for the structure uses 20% less wall materials than for a rectangular house of comparable square footage, and the design is seven times stronger than conventional framing. The panels contain no formaldehyde or VOCs, no asbestos, glass or cellulose fibers, and make for fast assembly. SIPs are manufactured with electrical chases already in place, speeding up the wiring for the builder, and the panels will fit in the back of a standard ¾ ton pickup truck, letting you get your house to remote areas without renting a semi-trailer or a crane to unload it.
The open floor plan and operable skylight help with convective airflow for heating and cooling, and the air-tight, super-insulated walls will save you a bundle on your utilities. A 20 foot diameter model has about 300 square feet of interior space, and the company has options for joining two or more together. For a starter home, the 20 foot Solargon sounds like the perfect choice, especially with a price of only about $24,000. If you want to go bigger, they do make a 30 foot diameter model with about 695 square feet of space, and the extra space allows for a loft above.
Solargon's Smart Cabins are LEED certified, and the company claims that they require less than half the heating and cooling inputs of conventional buildings. The fact that these houses can fit on such a tiny footprint lets you pick the perfect spot for it without massive amounts of excavation and heavy equipment.
Solargon is also working toward affordable housing and is soliciting donations to sponsor homes for those in disaster recovery areas. Help them out if you can.
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While not the size that most of us would like to live in all the time, it does make sense for a short stay, detached office or vacation home, even a reading room or meditation center – and the energy efficiency is ideal.
I love this !! It is so cute and the design is awesome . I want one.
Is there a bathroom?
there are homes similar to this in portland. Very small, but good for a single person dwelling. They are better than getting an apartment.
If/when I’m rich, I’m going to have a couple of those in my garden!
Any info about toilets and energy storage? Do the solar panels come with it?
I think you’re on your own with installing a toilet, but there are some really good composting toilets on the market right now.
The solar panels are also up to you to buy and install.
I have visited the Solargon manufacturing plant in Loveland Colorado. These homes have an octogon shape and feel big inside for the square footage. They can be linked together to get more living area. Great homes!
This would be fabulous for all the weekend recreationalists in our area – a fantastic “getaway” home. The area hunters and ATVers could redeem themselves environmentally by putting up one of these
Hello Crackgerbal or anyone else who can help,
Can you put me in touch with the homes in Portland. I live in BC and am most interested in these homes. Is there another manufacturer besides the one in Colorado. Oregon is much closer!
Thanks, for the info
alicegrange at yahoo.ca
This is what are people in our poor economy need to go to.
this is so kool…but is there a bed room and others things then that!!!
This is a great concept. My company builds these types of houses using the SIPS panels too. But, we build any configuration that you want. We come to your property and erect the structure as part of the package. We use the steel-skinned (galvalume) SIPS instead of the OSB clad panels. We build everything from large custom homes to teeny, tiny houses. Check out our web site at http://www.trulycustom.com.
This seems like a great idea for restbite. Sometimes my kids can drive me up the wall. It would be nice to get away from it all for a few days.