A Minnesota Couple Build a 324-Square-Foot House That’s a Blueprint for Greener Living

"Our main impetus in going tiny was to live more sustainably by reducing our energy consumption, curbing consumerism, and living a life that aligns with our values," says Sophia Jungbauer, a former architectural drafter who constructed her own tiny home with her husband Henry, a professional builder, in Duluth, Minnesota.

Before they ever broke ground, the Jungbauers spent almost three years planning and designing their 324-square-foot tiny house to suit their lifestyle. A large pantry and abundant counter space, for example, allow them to store bulk foods and prepare fresh meals, cutting down on waste. The couple also incorporated salvaged windows from Craigslist, Energy Star appliances, low-flow fixtures, LED lighting, and a compost toilet. 

"I took an anthropology course in college called ‘Consumption and its Consequences,’ and it really opened my eyes to how consumption is so ingrained in American culture," Sophia says. During her senior year, she wrote a capstone paper titled "Rethinking the American Dream—Downsizing as a Sustainable Solution," which examined the tiny house movement. Inspired by her research, Sophia and Henry named their dwelling the RAD (Rethinking the American Dream) Tiny Home.

During the build, which took about 16 months, the couple worked full-time jobs, and Sophia took on two additional part-time gigs to avoid taking out a loan to pay for materials. The construction site was almost an hour away from where the couple lived and since they worked on Saturdays, Sunday was their only day to build. "Towards the end, Henry built alone in the evenings, and then Friday through Sunday, we worked together, hammering out as much as we possibly could," Sophia says. The couple moved into the RAD Tiny Home in August of 2019.

The pale blue-gray tiny home is sided with prefinished 6-inch lap steel. "The material is ideal because we installed it throughout the Minnesota winter and didn’t have to worry about painting or sealing it," Sophia says. "We also like that it minimizes solar heat gain in the summer and is low-maintenance and recyclable."

On the interior, shiplap walls and locally milled tongue-and-groove birch paneling on the ceiling in the living room lend a feeling of warmth and texture. The Jungbauers opted for vinyl flooring, found at a discount outlet, that’s low-maintenance and waterproof. "It’s a dark [brown] wood grain that conveniently matches the color of our dog Cora’s fur pretty nicely," Sophia says. 

The custom bright blue cabinetry in the kitchen is topped with maple counters that feature a nontoxic finish. The two sleeping lofts above the open-plan communal space are outfitted with queen-size mattresses, though the main loft accommodates a king-size one.

The Jungbauers incorporated storage anywhere and everywhere they could. Coats, shoes, hats, gloves, sweatshirts, and sweaters are tucked away in a cabinet-and-drawer system beneath the staircase. "The bottom step pulls out from the stairs and has ample storage," Sophia says. "The area between the floor joists in the lofts have accessible storage from above, and that’s where we keep all of our out-of-season gear, extra linens, games, and backup toiletries." 

There’s also an in-wall medicine cabinet in the wall stud cavity of the bathroom, and the sofa, too, features built-in storage in its base. "We also save space with magnetic spice jars on the side of the fridge and a magnetic strip for knives directly behind the oven," Sophia says. "And before we moved in, we reexamined our possessions and found new homes for the things that weren’t serving us."

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The tiny home is kept cool and heated via a mini-split system. "It’s a hyper-heat unit that’s very efficient and works well in very low temperatures," Sophia says. "As a supplemental heat source, we’ve a small woodstove that helps keep us toasty warm." Two heat recovery ventilation  units work together to pull in fresh air and improve indoor air quality, and a living area ceiling fan and numerous windows circulate air and create cross-breezes that maintain cooler temperatures in the summertime.

In building their own tiny home, the Jungbauers were able to create a sustainable lifestyle for themselves. "Overconsumption is a huge contributor to environmental degradation and excess waste," Sophia says. "We feel that if we can live a life that reflects our values and aligns with our beliefs, we can help combat this issue." At the end of one month last summer, the Jungbauers’ electric bill was only $9. 

"I like to say that we practice a low-waste lifestyle," says Sophia, who believes that attempting a zero-waste lifestyle might set people up for failure. "Small incremental lifestyle changes can really add up over time. You’ve to take it slowly and adopt changes that make sense for you and your family," she adds. "As consumers, we have so much power in where we choose to spend our dollars."

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Project Credits:

Design and Construction: RAD Tiny Home / @radtinyhome

Photography: Sydney Carlino / @sydney.carlino