≡ Menu

Solar Tiny House That TRIPLES In Size


This post contains affiliate links.

Ingenuity is transforming the concept of mobile living as more and more people globally are looking to downsize. Whether considering downsizing for health reasons, ecological reasons, retirement reasons, or simply a lifestyle change, designers like Mehdi Hidari Badie are allowing people to achieve luxury living in the smallest of homes. Badie’s intricate modern mobile home design offers comfort, style, and sustainability by using inventive small-space solutions while preserving the ease of travel.

Mehdi Hidari Badie’s creative design consists of an assortment of steel, aluminum, recycled plastics, and thermoplastic insulation reducing the economic impact of the build. The home itself is powered by a solar panel system to provide electricity to a comfortable and functional living area encompassed with your very own private deck. Its expansive concept, sleek exterior paneling, and architectural style make it unrecognizable as a mobile home once it’s been unfolded.

Please don’t miss other incredible tiny homes like this – join our FREE Tiny House Newsletter with more!

Expanding Solar Tiny Home on Wheels

expanding-solar-mobile-home-01

Images © Mehdi Hidari Badie

expanding-solar-mobile-home-02 expanding-solar-mobile-home-03 expanding-solar-mobile-home-04 expanding-solar-mobile-home-05 expanding-solar-mobile-home-06 expanding-solar-mobile-home-07 expanding-solar-mobile-home-08 expanding-solar-mobile-home-09 expanding-solar-mobile-home-10 expanding-solar-mobile-home-11 expanding-solar-mobile-home-12 expanding-solar-mobile-home-13 expanding-solar-mobile-home-14 expanding-solar-mobile-home-15 expanding-solar-mobile-home-16 expanding-solar-mobile-home-17 expanding-solar-mobile-home-18

Images © Mehdi Hidari Badie

I’m curious, would you ever consider a design like this for your future tiny or small home? And where would you plan on putting it?

Sources

If you enjoyed this expanding solar tiny home on wheels you’ll absolutely LOVE our Free Daily Tiny House Newsletter with even more! Thank you!

This post contains affiliate links.

The following two tabs change content below.

Kaitlyn

Kaitlyn is a writer, coordinator and project manager based in beautiful New Bern, NC who served 5 years as a Sergeant in the United States Marines. Tiny House Talk is honored to have her as part of the team.

Latest posts by Kaitlyn (see all)

{ 39 comments… add one }
  • Scooter
    January 20, 2015, 2:39 pm

    Cool! Reminds me of George Jetson’s car folding down into a briefcase! 🙂

  • Karen R
    January 20, 2015, 3:04 pm

    Fabulous!!!!! But the price?

    • Enid
      January 21, 2015, 8:45 am

      That is certainly my question. There are a LOT of solar panels there. What is the output expected on a sunny day vs a rainy day?

  • Lisa E.
    January 20, 2015, 3:29 pm

    At the moment homes like this are really only “concept designs”. BUT… just as once upon a time Capt. Kirk’s “communicator” was only a futuristic concept, it eventually turned into our very common “flip phone”. I think housing like this has much to offer as we struggle to go Green and try to come to terms with living inside a sustainable reality (before we destroy the planet and ourselves into complete and utter extinction.) One day, the THOW’s that we are so lovingly building will be looked upon as charming antiques and relics of the past as we transition into solar living in fold-up housing such as this. Great job and very interesting!

    • July 11, 2019, 11:38 am

      I totally agree! I hope my first home will be self sufficient and I’ll know how to fix it myself!

  • nadia abduljabbar
    January 21, 2015, 3:25 pm

    I love it esp. the solar thing

  • Elle
    January 21, 2015, 3:32 pm

    Yes I would! This is a great concept. I’d love to see a prototype of this. Most interesting to me is the way the solar panels are arranged to harness light from sun-up to sun-down. (I know panels can be automated to rotate with the sun but don’t know whether that would actually be more cost effective than this panel arrangement.) I like the deck very much -you have to have a porch or a deck. 🙂

  • kid
    January 21, 2015, 11:21 pm

    Great concept. Like where this is going. I do wonder as well as what the cost of something like this would be. Even though this is on wheels I could see this as something that could be set up as an on site home as well.
    We need more concept ideas to help the TH industry grow and to inform people of the advantages of TH living. would like to see more TH concepts.

  • May 2, 2015, 9:53 am

    I’d absolutely love something like this if I had tons of money. One thing occurs – I guess storage would be pretty much impossible in the fold-out parts?
    Still, extra incentive to shed stuff, no?

  • Marcy
    May 2, 2015, 11:40 am

    I’d like to see an actual one. I hope on gets built and pictures are posted here.

  • May 2, 2015, 12:51 pm

    I absolutely Love this concept. I have 1.5 years to build time and am considering ALL options at this point. One of the drawbacks of tiny house living is the actual entertaining area. I now have grandchildren so to accommodate them, each of my floor plans were getting longer, but I don’t want to tow anything more than 28 ft max. Implementing something like this for one side of my TH plans would make all the difference in the world. I rate it Doable.

  • MB
    May 2, 2015, 12:53 pm

    YES! I would love it!

  • stephanie piccolo
    May 2, 2015, 12:58 pm

    Am also looking at all different designs but definitely want to utilize solar and want it mobile. Loved this look!

  • PJS
    May 2, 2015, 1:00 pm

    This is a beautiful design! I have lots of questions though…Price? Once this design is opened are there built-in furnishings, kitchen sink, toilet, bed??? How big is it? Opened fully? Closed? Thanks!

  • F. GILLY
    May 2, 2015, 5:58 pm

    The Dream House. But where do you put furniture, etc when it is folded up????

    • Sharee
      July 26, 2016, 1:40 pm

      Folding furniture. Just saw sink that folds into the wall. Few things that I can’t imagine could be compacted: refrigerator, washer/dryer…no wait, that could be a washer/dryer room (imagine a car wash room or convertible shower area that washes and blows dry). Yep. I want one.

  • Joyce
    May 2, 2015, 10:27 pm

    I suppose this would be ideal for a barren land area such as the dessert or perhaps polar areas where you get the most sun. Like another person said, where is the furniture stored or are they built in like another folding house that has been featured? Perhaps some colored windows would reduce some of the blinding bright light reflections and add more colorful beauty.

  • gale
    May 2, 2015, 11:33 pm

    Glad to see others are wondering where the heck the furniture is when folded up. Alex can you let us know? Otherwise a super cool idea.

    • jake
      July 26, 2016, 2:36 pm

      Folditure.com has some great products; e.g, dining for 20 people, stored hanging in a closet on 20″ of a clothes rod.

      • Michael
        July 26, 2016, 6:53 pm

        Folditure.com has some interesting stuff though it looks futuristic and complicated. I am a big fan of fod away furniture especially in a THOW because they are out of the way if not needed. There are more simple solutions. The biggest space saving thing is the bed. For me lifting it up to the ceiling is best because you don’t need to fix nothing and its always ready to use. Much better than a cramped sleeping loft. But dining table, chairs, working desk, even comfy chairs are others.

        • jake
          July 26, 2016, 10:28 pm

          I agree. I like the idea of using counter-balancing; no electricity. However, deploying and locking, both up and down, must be easy. I prefer a tray ceiling when the bed is down, and a coffered ceiling when the bed is up.

  • robert
    May 3, 2016, 4:53 pm

    Too many moving sections, leaks will form sooner or later. Great concept.

  • Michael
    May 3, 2016, 7:03 pm

    A great concept indeed. Small to be towed – gig when parked. However, I tried to get in touch with this people but failed.

  • May 3, 2016, 7:19 pm

    Love, love this look. Would live in.

  • Marsha Cowan
    May 3, 2016, 11:38 pm

    Hmmm…looks complicated… :/

  • Cris Yahner-Divadkar
    May 4, 2016, 10:02 am

    This is a wonderful concept. I’m thinking new designs in furniture, lighter weight building materials. I already sleep on an air mattress over a collapsible frame. There are so many possibilities! Keep us posted…I just may be able to afford my own home if these are built affordably and accepted. ♡

  • Sarah
    July 26, 2016, 4:28 pm

    This is very cool, and I too think of George Jetson in its futuristic design. I am hesitant to say this (because I don’t want to be booed LOL) but I am a person who really doesn’t like too many windows, esp since you don’t always seem to see them with coverings at night. I am a more private type of person and love the light during the day but also want wall space to display my art work. JMHO.

    • Alex
      July 26, 2016, 4:58 pm

      Good point, Sarah! Thanks!

  • Richard Legg
    July 26, 2016, 9:57 pm

    Have there been preliminary estimates of cost to build?
    What is the overall footprint dimensions when fully deployed? What are the primary materials, weight, towing considerations.
    Has anyone working on a prototype? I’ve been looking for something like this since I started reading the Tiny Home website… It is a wonderful concept and I’d love to build one!

  • Trish
    July 27, 2016, 2:22 am

    Looks made to order for Hawaii. Many people already have outdoor kitchens and showers. I rarely cover my windows, want the ocean and mountain views available and my neighbors aren’t too near. Living water has proven to be the most calming artwork I have experienced in my many years of living.

  • Michele Bellon
    July 27, 2016, 3:07 am

    Sold. This is so great I don’t even care about furniture.

  • Sabrina
    July 27, 2016, 6:32 am

    Not to offend anyone, but I don’t believe these homes have any place in the future – they are just too inpractical. No plumbing could be placed on the walls that fold up, and you would have to store all of the furniture (bed, couch, table, etc. ) in a space one third of the intended size while travelling. I think it is a great concept, but if anyone actually were using this home and going across the country with it, they would certainly have a but of trouble.

    • Eric
      July 7, 2019, 10:35 pm

      Good points Sabrina. PLUS… due to all the folding bits you open yourself to multiple points of water ingress, plus cold air as well. Looks like it could be nice but I think the practicalities wouldn’t work.

      Of course, if the designer built one and used it for a year they may be correct. But I’ve got $10 saying “I Don’t Think So.”

    • Junebug
      July 10, 2019, 10:09 pm

      I agree and there are too many parts that can go wrong and then you are in deep trouble. In desert or dusty climates all that lubricant needed is going to get clogged up.

  • John
    July 7, 2019, 11:55 pm

    The design is great. I think it looks OK. My concern is that it’s a great idea, but it’s not clear to me how practical it is. I mean, this is just a (computer graphic) sketch.

    Off the top of my head:

    Does it leak?

    What is the design life of the mechanical assemblies?

    Does it take motors, hydraulics, etc?

    What R rating are the walls?

    Electrical connections?

    Plumbing?

    What’s the weight, and is it road legal?

    I mean, you can say “folding furniture” but until there’s a real design, that’s just hand waving. I have some serious doubts everything would fold up along with furniture, the walls, the plumbing, the solar panels, belongings, etc. (and not leak and be drafty).

    Would love to see an actual build though!

    == John ==

  • faiz
    July 8, 2019, 12:01 am

    great, love it . Cost estimate and who can built this

  • Cambray Dooley
    July 8, 2019, 7:26 am

    I think it’s a cool idea. My issue with these expando places, be it a bump out RV, or tiny, is that you have to either cram all your stuff for the space expanded within the main nonexpanded space until you expand it. Or you have nothing to use in the expanded space. So I’ve never thought that it was that adventagious. Unless you want to exercise or something in the expanse.

  • Namuya
    July 9, 2019, 3:41 am

    I love it.

Leave a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.