Mini House in Vermont

Mini House in Vermont

© Jim Westphalen

American studio Elizabeth Herrmann Architecture + Design designed a tiny house of 40 square meters in Vermont, USA, aiming to prove that a small house does not have to be a claustrophobic monotonous box.

The architects partially cut the angles of the building to create the desired housing form. In addition, a sloped roof was installed, forming a comfortable attic space for sleeping. The structure is clad in light gray cedar; a bright yellow door adds a cheerful splash of color.

The house includes an attic bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, dining and work table, storage cupboards, and a living room that can also serve as a guest room.

To prevent the house from feeling too cramped, architects created a basement for additional storage, a washing machine, and mechanical equipment. The hatch door leading into it is seamlessly built into the wooden floor.

It was important to the project's authors that despite its size, the house contains those separate spaces that give a person a sense of privacy or simply feature scale changes in accordance with functions.

Light tones used in construction and a restrained palette of materials create the feeling of flowing and free space. Wooden window frames are used, while work surfaces and the vanity unit are made from white concrete. Birch plywood was used for wall cupboards and the built-in sofa bed, and local maple wood was used for flooring.

Photos: Jim Westphalen