You Can Add a Shower With a Glass Ceiling to These New Tiny Homes
Welcome to Tiny Home Profiles, an interview series with people pushing the limits of living small. From space-saving hacks to flexible floor plans, here’s what they say makes for the best tiny homes on the planet. Know of a builder we should talk to? Reach out.
Founded in 2002, Amsterdam studio i29 architects initially focused on bringing its minimalist aesthetic to projects in the hospitality, residential, retail, public, and office domains. More recently, the team has set its sights on creating tiny homes meant to be easily added to a property. "[The Netherlands] has a real need for flexible design options with a small footprint," say i29’s founders.
The new collection, called Cȃpsula, features three cabins ranging from 107 to 538 square feet. Each structure bears the same key elements: lightweight materials, a neutral color palette that includes an all-black wood exterior, and a simple layout that’s meant to blur the boundaries between the indoors and out. Here, the firm’s founding partners, Jeroen Dellensen, Jaspar Jansen, and Chris Collaris, share how they created the collection.
At just more than 500 square feet, the Patio Home is the largest of the Cȃpsula trio. It sleeps four, has a kitchen and bathroom, and is equipped with a combination of sliding doors and large windows.
What’s the most exciting project you’ve realized to date?
The first series of tiny homes have already been installed at a beautiful location in The Netherlands, and people can book a stay in one by contacting us if they want to try them out.
The Patio House has a built-in shelving unit and an indoor/outdoor kitchen.
What does your base model cost and what does that pricing include?
We have three different models:
- The Writer’s Block Hut is 107 square feet and starts at €24,500 ($27,986.89 USD)
- Soft Lodge is 270 square feet and starts at €98,000 ($111,947.54 USD)
- Patio Home is 538 square feet and starts at €195,000 ($222,738.75 USD)
These prices don’t include taxes, transport costs, screw pile foundations, interior fit outs, site preparation, or installation. There’s also additional fees for panelized forms to fit into a shipping container for worldwide shipping. All base models include the facades you see here. These prices also exclude options such as a skylight in the bathroom, an outdoor bed, or additional windows.
The Writer’s Block Hut is a tiny, timber-clad retreat designed to comfortably sleep one.
What qualities make your tiny home stand apart from the rest?
Câpsula builds on the promise of advanced design where less is more. Our growing collection of tiny houses promote slow luxury and peace of mind. Think fewer options, with excellent choices made for you. To be happy, how much do we really need?
Each Cȃpsula residence features pine cladding for the hallways, cabinetry, and furniture.
Where do you ship/where is the tiny home currently available?
We can deliver worldwide since all our homes can be delivered in a shipping container in a panelized form. We are open to new challenges all over the world.
The prefabs’ base pricing includes the exterior paneling; options such as additional windows and outdoor beds are available for a fee.
Is your design currently pre-permitted in any U.S. municipalities?
At this point, our Câpsula homes are not pre-permitted in the U.S.
The Patio Home is named as such for a pad that extends from indoors to out.
Are there plans to expand to different parts of the country/world?
We are focusing on Europe, but since we also work globally on projects with our firm i29 architects, we are looking forward to expanding in the U.S. in collaboration with trusted local partners.
Each Patio Home layout includes at least two bedrooms with ample storage space.
How long can a client expect the process to take after they put down a deposit?
From the first deposit, our factory needs to plan for production, which is about 12 weeks ahead plus another 6 weeks for the actual building time. It also depends on the number of units and any special requests that a client may have.
The wood-clad shower has a see-through roof.
What aspects of an install do you manage?
Permitting is normally done by the client and a local architect, and preparations on-site by a local contractor. We can assist with supervision on location by request.
What aspects of the design can a client customize?
In our vision, luxury and well-being are expressed through simplicity. We want to offer less options, but have excellent choices made for you. Having said that, of course, a client can also customize to their needs as well. This is why we offer base models with different fit-out options: one or two beds, an outdoor or indoor kitchen, etc.
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