Tiny Solar House Plans
Ironically this is my 400th post on Tiny House Design. I really hadn’t planned to do anything special for the 400th post but this does mark a personal milestone for me. Over the last year and a half of exploring tiny houses through blogging I’ve presented many design ideas, some of my own and many from other people. What began as an exploration is slowly turning into a self-sustaining endeavor that should give me more and more time to dedicate to tiny houses and simple living.
My skills with Google SketchUp, the free 3D drawing software, has reached a level where I’m able to create quality house plans. You’ve probably seen me talk about Tiny Prefab, a 90 page ebook I’ve written dedicated to a DIY prefab building system and you’ve probably also noticed the free tiny house plans I’ve drawn.
Murphy Bed in the 8×20 Solar House
I’m still making small edits to the next version of the house plans but I wanted to share a better picture of the murphy bed. It’s a queen size bed mounted horizontally. This allows some space to walk around side of the bed past the main windows but more importantly allows the whole thing to fit under the ceiling. The bed is a bit higher than normal so that it clears the wheel well. I’ve also included the latest Google SketchUp file in case you want to take a closer look.
8×20 Solar House Update… Free Plans Nearly Complete
For the past two weeks I’ve been test driving Google SketchUp Pro and have come to a simple conclusion. Unless you’re a professional I think you’ll be able to do much more than you’ve ever dreamed with the free version of SketchUp, including drawing house plans. Below is a quick video tour of my drawing of the 8×20 Solar House. It’s not quite finished but I wanted to give you a progress report.
More about my exploration with Google SketchUp Pro
My 8-hour free trial with Google SketchUp Pro and Google Layout must be almost at an end. I realized early on that I could continue to draw with the free 3D version on my laptop which allowed me to draw most of the 3D version without using the pro version. In installed SketchUp Pro on my desktop computer and it tool the place of the free version.
So far I’ve noticed very few features in the pro version of SketchUp worth paying $495 for except the ability to transfer images to Layout which is a real time saver. This feature alone would make this a must have program for a professional or serious amateur designer.
I’m still working through the details of how best to present the house plans in Layout like adding notes and dimensions. I’ll keep at it until my time runs out and will use the pro version only for making the final 2D drawings. In the mean time here are a few sample of what I have so far. Remember these 2D drawings took only minutes and a few mouse clicks to make once the 3D drawing was ready.
Tiny Dogtrot House – Part 2
I got so much great feedback on the last Tiny Dogtrot House design concept that I decided to whip up a revision. Below is a slightly modified variation that now includes a screened porch between the two 8′ by 12′ sheds, a solar box around the water tank, radiant floor heating, and a tiny gap between the roofs of the two sheds. Justin at materialicious reminded me that a true dogtrot house has a contiguous roof. I wanted the two buildings to be independent structures; so I figure a tiny 2-inch gap seems like a reasonable compromise.
In addition to the porch and tank changes I extended the deck and roof a little too. It seems like a good idea to have a screened porch for buggy days and nights but it also seems like a good idea to have an open deck for sitting outside under the stars. Continue Reading »
