The Mini-B is a tiny house with an upstairs sleeping loft. But there’s a larger alternative floor plan design that includes a downstairs bedroom that I’ll show you below. The house was designed by Architect Joseph Giampietro as a detached backyard accessory dwelling unit for the City of Seattle area.
The model shown below has 300 square feet of interior space and the vaulted ceilings do a great job of making it look and feel spacious. The modern tiny cabin is surrounded with 9″ of EPS foam (see below) to help make it very energy efficient.
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Mini-B Prefab 300-sq.-ft. Modern Tiny Home

Photo Credits:Â Mini-B Passive House
How’d you like to have a small home with an electric bill of less than $9/month?
You can see the rest of the Mini-B and learn more about it below:
It’s considered a passive house thanks to its insulation, thermal windows, solar water heating system, window design & placement, and heat recovery ventilation system.
Below is a look at the impressive 9″ EPS foam insulation.

Ok, let’s go inside:


Kitchen, Dining, Desk and Sleeping Loft Areas

Taken from the living room.

Kitchen

You can get a peek of the bathroom in the shot below:


Living Area


Photo Credits:Â Mini-B Passive House
“The Mini-B project was developed by Joe Giampietro, Certified Passive House Consultant and Director of Housing at Johnson Braund Design Group, and was built by carpentry students at Seattle Central Community College/Wood Construction Center under the supervision of instructor Frank Mestemacher.”
- Source:
- http://www.ecobuilding.org/green-building/project-spotlights/mini-b-passive-house
- seattlecentral.org
Mini-B Passive Tiny House Floor Plan


Alternate (Larger) Design with Downstairs Bedroom

Photo Credits: Mini-B Passive House
Video Tour/Interview
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Sources
- http://minibhome.com/about/
- http://minibhome.com/purchase/
Alex
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You mean I could have an electric bill that is $191 dollars LESS than I have now? Who do I call!!!!!!!!
Course this is NOT in the area in which I live where it is well below freezing NOW and expected to go much lower—even tho we don’t heat with electricity we still need it for our furnace fan and the hot water–the bulk of our useage sigh—no natural gas here!!!!—and for aux heat for the bathroom during shower time etc.
Sigh.
I like it a lot, especially the version with the bedroom down below because living in one room only could be boring over the time.
Unfortunately I didn’t see how wide, long and high it is.
However, I am asking myself why they didn’t used SIP instead of studs.
Probably costs would have been less.
Oopps, I forgot to ask how much it would cost to build.
This is so perfect. I have Mcs/EI and so desperately need sustainable affordable housing in Southern Pa or Va. Can some one resource me to someone that would help me and work with me on funding?
You would think a 1.5 bath one floor all L.E.D. house I fit into 400 sq.ft. with island kitchen D/W, W/D, Air to air exchanger, on demand H/W and ability to be trucked to site would cause more interest at the 4Fathomms Design FB page from manufacturers? They would work great as slab on grade homes as well. I even have one that can have the second floor installed after delivery with a rented fork lift or cherry picker. ABSOLUTELY no interest…they would rather build McMansions or cut down rip offs of their big models.
Very livable, light and airy and easy to keep warm. Definitely a good incentive to insulate well.
Add some solar panels and have the utilities pay you enough to pay your property taxes.
Add a greenhouse porch on the front and grow your own veggies year round while creating an airbreak too keep the warm/cool air inside.
If you are hooked into the grid with your solar panels, should the grid go down for any reason, the solar panels would not operate. Supposedly this is to prevent electrical feed from being put into the system while workers are attempting repairs. So if you value being off the grid, you need to install the proper solar system with battery storage.
Awesome idea, Logan!!!
It’s very nice aesthetically, with great materials and workmanship. But I do question a few things. Where is the washer/dryer. And why not put the electrical box in the closet being an eyesore out in the open. Practically speaking, it shouldn’t be much more for the one bedroom plan which would be more preferable for many especially those who have dogs and easier to live in.
I love the concept and design…especially of the expanded version with the downstairs bedroom. I’d still have loftspace over both sides with a vaulted ceiling inbetween maybe even a skylight. The main issue is the lack windows, though I understand that is where most of the heat-loss will happen. I’d also prefer a tub, though a walk-in version might work to minimalize floorspace. I’m not a big cook and rarely use the oven, so I think this kitchen would be sufficient with the possible exception of the fridge. I’d need to be pretty close to a Trader Joe’s or decent grocery store to make a tiny fridge work for me!
Looks terribly expensive per sq. ft. I can see why there is no dishwasher and clothes dryer, but why no washing machine?
What is in the closet in the kitchen area? Is that a closet in the bath? More pix please!
Any engineers around? I have a comment and a question Nice house by the way. 🙂 See the box style thing in the middle, wardrobe maybe. Well, is it possible to run a seat up and down on a rail like system? similar to the chair that travels along the walls of stairs? If so, I think we could fashion some way of doing so in tiny houses that the people are in wheel chairs? I was thinking it would go right there inside the wardrobe closet of course something else would have to be done about a wardrobe closet or tv closet whatever that actually is. hmmm a “lift chair” it’s a thought. Now you engineers take off with it. If anything comes of it, don’t forget me. 🙂 a little pray for me will do. God bless and happy trails!
I like the idea of a ‘lift chair’ The wall space between the kitchen and desk appears to be a pocket door hiding the ladder for the loft. Since there is a ‘dumb waiter’ elevator design for product in business and home laundry areas, I see no reason why a ‘lift chair’ design could be fashioned on this space. The seat of the ‘chair’ could be folded up to help on space or leave down and use as extra seating for guests:) I also would like to see the measurements particularly with the downstairs’ bedroom option.
In these small homes the kitchens and bathrooms are always so small and the living rooms huge. I would much prefer a large kitchen/dining room and a large bathroom with a washer and dryer then a large living room.
Lovely home.
This house appears as though they tried to make it handicap accessible but there is no way that the kitchen can be used by someone in a wheelchair. You couldn’t turn around in there nor open any doors being in one. As a person in the wheelchair, this is important to me. Otherwise I love the house.
If you used a product like thrmasteel your building wood be super strong and lighter
Not always change is the same as to improving, but for to improve
we need to change…..
Sir. Winston Churchill
I love the downstairs bedroom option. This is nicely done on the inside.