Tiny Home was commissioned by RACV as an exhibition piece with the agenda to be an exemplar of sustainable compact living. RACV as an organisation acknowledges that society is moving away from the motor vehicle and is therefore steering part of its business to the home arena.

The configuration of Tiny Home, its transport, materiality and content was open for us to freely interpret. The brief was to incorporate as many sustainable features as we saw appropriate, embody high design principles and exude a sense of joy so as to engage the general public.

We sought to investigate the simple gable roof form as a iconic indicator of home, whilst exploring the volume this creates internally. The object was conceived as a package that could literally be slid off a truck onto flat ground and 'open up'. Hydraulic rams lift gridded yellow panels creating sunshades, wing walls and decking - much like a cardboard box would unfold.

Tiny Home can operate totally off grid or connect into services. Sewerage, grey water and drinking water are collected as is solar power. A high level of connectivity has been embedded into the fabric of the building to allow for voice activated Google Home to run the automated systems. These include WIFI, security, home entertainment with concealed motorised TV, lighting, sound system and curtain operation.

The construction of the building has high aspiring techniques that deliver a building 60% more energy efficient than a standard 6-Star Section J Rated home. (As rated by BEAC energy consultants) To achieve this rating we employed amongst other things, a seven layered wall and roof system that included 'phase change' (satchels of coconut and soy bean oil) which produces a wall characteristic equal to 100mm thick concrete slab.

The Tiny Home is built on a PFC raft with a steel portal frame, giving the required structural integrity to withstand a 100km/h headwinds whilst trucking around the state of Victoria. Externally all extraneous objects such as gutters, solar panels, water tanks, etc, are embedded to present a well resolved sleek object. The finely spaced external spotted gum cladding is intended as a rain and sun screen. It would suit certain BAL applications, being Category 1 wood with a charred finish.

Acknowledging the principles of biophilic design the interior is lined with radial sawn Vic hardwood, planting is included in window reveals. A collaboration with Clare Kelder (Graphic Designer) resulted in Australian wool and felt being used for purpose designed soft furnishings. Compact living is celebrated with fold out tables, micro bathroom, playful cargo net as a kids escape and built in seating much like you would expect in an aluminium Viscount caravan from the 70's.

Design Team:

Maddison Architects: Peter Maddison, Jesse Newstadt

Engineering: WGA
Builder: Simple Motion

Clients: RACV