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The High Tech and Affordable Kasita Tiny House: The Next Revolution in Housing?


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Remember Professor Wilson? He’s the teacher I once told you about who took a dumpster and turned it into a tiny home and then followed through by living in it for 10 months!

That’s right! He actually lived in a converted DUMPSTER for ten months (happily)!

And now, according to Kirsten Dirksen, Jeff Wilson is creating, promoting and selling the “iPhone for housing”! And I think he’s on to something!

In the video (below), Jeff says, “things have not changed in real estate since 1884,” and I couldn’t agree more!

So this is the Kasita! It’s an incredible yet very simple idea but what do you think?

Video: Tiny Prefab Home the Future of Real Estate/Housing? Maybe even the “iPhone” of housing?

Highlights

  • “Vertical RV Park” concept
  • Buy your tiny house unit and it can later be moved and re-installed somewhere else
  • 208 sq. ft. prototype that fits into a “rack” to become a sort of “high rise” RV park? Sort of..
  • The design has over 5000 hours worth of engineering done mostly by BMW design engineers
  • It’s actually a lot more like a car than a home
  • It’s designed to be built on a line (like a vehicle) so that it can be scaled and become more affordable to build/sell/buy
  • The goal is so that almost anyone can afford one, Jeff says that even a barista should be able to buy one
  • The bed is able to slide right underneath the kitchen and bathroom thanks to the high ceilings
  • The glass cube area consists of a high tech glass that can darken and lighten according to the day and/or what you’d like!
  • It has air conditioning, hot water, a washer/dryer combo unit, closet space, bathroom, and more!
  • The idea is for it to feel like a small condo that feels bigger than the 208 sq. ft. the concept model consists of (the production model is going to be 50% larger which is 320 sq. ft.)
  • The goal is also to be able to transport the units easily throughout the country on a standard 18 wheeler truck
  • The units are zoned as multifamily units (just like apartments, condos, etc.)
  • KASITA is a product company that sells the prefab housing units along with the racks to stack them

Learn more using the links/resources below!

Resources

  1. YouTube/Kirsten Dirksen
  2. Kasita (Official Site)
  3. Faircompanies (original article/story)

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Alex

Alex is a contributor and editor for TinyHouseTalk.com and the always free Tiny House Newsletter. He has a passion for exploring and sharing tiny homes (from yurts and RVs to tiny cabins and cottages) and inspiring simple living stories. We invite you to send in your story and tiny home photos too so we can re-share and inspire others towards a simple life too. Thank you!
{ 38 comments… add one }
  • Jay
    November 27, 2017, 2:50 pm

    These are really nice units. I’m just not sure I would call $130K+ “affordable” for the Tiny House Market.

    • SHARON FRIED
      November 27, 2017, 3:21 pm

      $130,000? Way too much for tiny living, which is supposed to be AFFORDABLE.

      • D B
        November 27, 2017, 4:15 pm

        Affordable ? I agree with Sharon and Jay, NO, it is not.

        It’s not even that innovative or new. Japan has been doing it, probably better and cheaper, for decades. Heck didn’t the 1976 Montreal Summer Olympics showcase something almost identical in the athelete’s village ? That was over 40 years ago.

        Over 5000 hours of (mostly) BMW engineering ? And I’m supposed to be impressed ? Even if I did believe it ? Like I want my home designed by automotive engineers ? I suppose instead of buying a BMW car I should have one designed by a leading agricultural engineering team to make it better ?

        Sorry, I am so unimpressed with the premise and hype I’m not at all interested in looking further. I can usually find something to take away from any design but not here. I suppose I should have followed the maxim of if you have nothing good to say, say nothing.

        • redfish
          November 28, 2017, 2:25 am

          Well said, D B !

    • Bill Burgess
      November 27, 2017, 4:25 pm

      This is probably a one-off price. Think assembly line like a Park Model RV which starts around $22K. Yes, you can pay more, but when your option is Underpass or a city-owned stacked mobile unit….The idea has merit and the beauty is it can be worldwide. Why not get into another export business. Imagine building and selling these to the UN for development projects, or for ANYWHERE the wind is an issue…Stilts on a hillside/Cliff overlook, behind a series of Dunes and when the ocean rise happens, unbolt and move it back up the beach….Sell them in pairs, one in the mountains and one at the beach….Having vision is the only limiting factor.

      • James D.
        November 27, 2017, 7:22 pm

        Bill Burgess, correct… The cost is just for the prototype, which is a one off and that covers all the extra work that goes into making a prototype, but the idea is to put it on a assembly line for mass production like you would a car and that means the final commercial product can be a fraction of the price… After all, when they say even a barista should be able to buy one then they’re targeting a pretty low price range.

        Being able to stack them also helps owners who can group together to create a custom apartment complex or condo/co-op arrangements, which makes these more ideal for cities and similar places that aren’t suited for a traditional house and won’t allow alternatives like a THOW…

        These just won’t offer the range of customization as other options but low cost and can be used just about anywhere, while retaining the ability to be moved at a later date, makes them a pretty flexible solution that most should be able to afford… Provided they do get mass produced…

        • Bill Burgess
          November 27, 2017, 7:33 pm

          Yes for those that consider the mobility, there can always be a bare bones 20′ model with the loft feature like the THOW’s are using….Just shipping it could involve hooking it behind your truck on a low boy trailer or U-Haul car trailer to a spot where a slot vacancy exists and you can vagabond to your heart’s content.

    • DB
      November 27, 2017, 5:40 pm

      Affordable ? I agree with Sharon and Jay, No, it is not.

      It’s not even that innovative or new. Japan has been doing it, probably better and cheaper, for decades. Heck didn’t the 1976 Montreal Summer Olympics showcase something almost identical in the athlete’s village ? That was over 40 years ago.

      Over 5000 hours of (mostly) BMW engineering ? And I’m supposed to be impressed ? Even if I did believe it ? Like I want my home designed by automotive engineers ? I suppose instead of buying a BMW car I should have one designed by a leading agricultural engineering team to make it better ?

      Sorry, I am so unimpressed with the premise and hype I’m not at all interested in looking further. I can usually find something to take away from any design but not here. I suppose I should have followed the maxim of if you have nothing good to say, say nothing.

      • Eric
        April 28, 2018, 11:19 pm

        But, as the article says the iPhone of housing… which is secret code for OMG it’s so massively overpriced. Maybe it’ll be obsolete in 3 years too just like iPhones.

  • Jeanne
    November 27, 2017, 3:27 pm

    When “parked,” these remind me too much of sterile office cubicles, no privacy, and I wouldn’t want one. Affordable? For whom? I do understand cost, sort of, if the “parking space” is included.

    • redfish
      November 28, 2017, 2:30 am

      Office cubicles were my first tought too. Can’t say I am hyped by the design…

  • Bill Burgess
    November 27, 2017, 4:14 pm

    As this is a prototype keep an open mind. Imagine these units barged to Puerto Rico two months ago, or even if there had been sets of them ALREADY on the islands. You can do the same system with Containers a so many have recommended…A few sliding metal doors over the windows and you have a lockbox even a hurricane will pass by. Powdercoat the outside any color you want right at the factory. Mix and match door/window colors….Really…. after this, just how many times must the wheel be reinvented before some trickle down gets to the masses? KUDOS Professor Wilson.

    • Steven Mazlik
      March 17, 2018, 1:37 am

      Barges of them sent to Puerto Rico? People in Puerto Rico aren’t largely without beds to sleep in, they are without electricity. You would need that to run the air conditioning for these units, unless I missed the part where it has a fantastically capable solar panel array. Units, I might add, that look like they would be solar gain monsters the moment the sun appeared in the morning. I am curious to what degree the “glass darkening feature” mitigates that.

      You should work for FEMA. The answer to everything. Just send them something with some walls and make sure and pay WAY TOO MUCH for each unit. My god, seriously? BARGES full of 130k tiny houses with no power for them? For people that already have houses, also without power. Wait… do you ALREADY work for FEMA? 🙂 Got no water? Here are some fancy 130k houses. No crops or food? Well, how about some 130k Tiny Houses. Ebola breakout in town? Here are some Tiny Houses! How about some for your destroyed electrical grid? They retail 130k… c’mon, try one!

  • linda caplan
    November 27, 2017, 4:30 pm

    imo, this indeed is the future. making them by the thousands, hopefully, will make them affordable. the idea is to get every person into a home, right? no more homeless or at least no more waste. right now i live in wilmington, de and have a two lot property. a six unit structure like this would fit so easily on my 2nd lot. the problem is that our towns are not yet willing to see the brilliance here. if i suggested this at one of our town meetings i would be probably be beaten. what will it take to open the eyes of our governments, i ask seriously? my brother is a builder and his wife a realtor. i so want them to get interested in this but they say it would be hell to try and sell it to the city ordinance people. if i were very young maybe i could see this happen. but i am a baby boomer and i only can dream with you all. thanx for your traveling out of the box. i love your mind. linda

  • Regina Miller
    November 27, 2017, 5:30 pm

    This reminds me of how the Contemporary Hotel was built at Walt Disney Word in Orlando where each room was built and then lifted into place to form the main hotel. This would be a great idea, if more affordable, for low income housing and help with the homeless issues, when nine are stacked as in the pictures above. Is it possible, structurally, to use containers for this purpose? They seem to be pretty cheap.

    • Alex
      November 27, 2017, 8:17 pm

      It would definitely be cool to see a more affordable version (which he did mention somewhere in the video)

  • Denise
    November 27, 2017, 10:20 pm

    What you fail to appreciate over and over again is that these “homes” are only palatable as a temporary abode. They look appealing somewhat in the nice green setting with space around but that’s not the reality. You can’t make a long term home in one of these. In the case of Australia, we are building homes already on 110sqm blocks with no garden, no greenery, no privacy, no peace and quiet just butted up against the next tiny structure or concrete wall next to it. These is hardly anything to celebrate. They are still not “affordable” and are just going to contribute to the stress and mental illness of those inhabitants for years to come.

    • redfish
      November 28, 2017, 2:45 am

      Interesting things you say! I live in a condo, but my biggest problem was always my neighbors. Most people are nice, but some folks will never respect others. Loud music, partying at night etc., and this is a fairly nice place… These small, cheap houses stacked on each other might turn into something like out of Blade Runner or other dystopian stuff.

    • Linda caplan
      November 28, 2017, 10:24 am

      What?! Seriously? I think just the opposite. Interesting.

  • Patty
    November 27, 2017, 10:40 pm

    I’m sure these are great for some people, but not for me. Too sterile and not “vintage” enough for me. Just not my preference.

  • Max S
    November 27, 2017, 10:58 pm

    This sort of design thinking is mired in modern engineering paradigms and chicken factory design. As a prison cell it is awesome; as a solution to human habitation problems it should score lower than a much more mobile airstream.

  • Karl Wheatley
    November 28, 2017, 12:13 am

    Yes, if you were in the middle of a stack, people on either side of you, standing in the front corners of their cubes, can see you pretty much anywhere you go in your cube, except the bathroom. Tiny homes seem a lot more appealing on decent lots then hemmed in on all sides.

  • November 28, 2017, 1:02 am

    I applaud the intention to find solutions to housing issues. But while this structure is being compared to a “vertical RV park”, it’s missing an important feature – community space. RV parks aren’t just about putting lots of small “homes” in the same place; they are also about community. I would hope that either the “frame” or land on which it sits will have communal spaces. Otherwise, this concept would just be perpetuating the worst feature of urban high density housing.

  • Joe
    November 28, 2017, 2:31 am

    I like the idea a lot. Of course the cost is high because it is a prototype. Personally, the 320 sq ft size would be more practical for me. I wonder what the cost of rent in one of the stacking units would be. RV rental fees are not always very cheap. On their website, the version they show is slightly different than this one and I like the way the bathroom is done on that version better. Plus, I think the bathroom needs to be a bit wider.

  • November 28, 2017, 11:18 am

    The point, I think, is that he was able to negotiate/collaborate with a large city, like Austin, and find a way through rules and regulations. Of course, this is not the first or the best or the cheapest. Considering current interest rate, $130, is not THAT bad. There are many good points here to appreciate. You are right, having gotten a degree in architecture and urban design, I have often thought that a more “commercial/industrial” approach would reap great benefits. I am designing my own tiny house. I’m not necessarily looking for smaller; I am looking at more personalization, only installing what I need. I don’t think I need a $1600 laundry combo unit. I can use the small $80 unit and hang the 7 pairs of underware, 2 Tshirts and 1 pr jeans up to hang (we have plenty of sunshine in Texas). That glass box would be a problem in Texas, unless you want to fry something.
    I say good on you and PLEASE keep developing and minimizing and eliminate what is not ABSOLUTELY necessary.
    I would enjoy participating in your process. I am retired with 50 years experience. Just sayin…….

  • Ellen Childress
    November 28, 2017, 11:48 am

    Here in Dallas, TX there is a beautiful, super modern home overlooking White Rock Lake that recently sold for nearly half a million. It is made
    of 13 or 14 shipping containers stacked and cantilevered. At night, when it is lighted, it is phenomenal.

  • November 28, 2017, 12:40 pm

    Different Opinion for one Idea very Good! ( already seen in the past with different matirials) it is inevitable, but one thing counts, that you do not depart from the fundamental concept of Tiny House: formally alternative homes…, and above all economical, competitive. Then we deflate the helium balloons that make us fly and put our Feet to the Ground.

  • Christine
    November 28, 2017, 5:06 pm

    Those giant windows… if you actually stacked these like in the picture, everyone’s bedroom would have a clear view into all of their neighbors’ bedrooms. That’s just silly, no one will want that.

    • redfish
      November 28, 2017, 11:24 pm

      True, maybe they should use some form of privacy film for the windows to increase privacy…

  • Laura Drob Drob
    November 30, 2017, 12:29 pm

    Too city….ish for me.

  • Lorraine
    December 1, 2017, 1:02 am

    For those commenting about the lack of privacy in the glassed area, did you miss the part of the video where Mr Wilson said the glass can actually darken to the point of total blackout?

    • James D.
      December 1, 2017, 1:23 pm

      Lorraine, yes, it appears not everyone actually bothered to take note of everything stated or shown…

      Unfortunately, it’s one of the reasons it is so hard to get such products to market because of confusion over what it actually offers and too many people jumping to erroneous conclusions and then refusing to hear anything more on it later because they have already written it off as a bad product.

  • VL
    December 2, 2017, 8:07 am

    James D. I agree on your comment. I have noticed all too often that questions are raised and comments made about things that are clearly stated in the post. If people would actually read with care or pay attention to what is said in the video there would be less confusion and prejudgment.
    I for one like the idea of this unit, however as a stand alone place for one or a couple on a modest plot of land with nice views on a foundation or as an “above garage/workshop”unit.
    Without the road legal constraints, a similar linear design with more width can be quite nice of one likes modern design and lots of glass to bland the indoor and outdoor spaces visually.
    For me the sardine can idea is just out. If people were considerate in their way of communal living, perhaps but that’s in a perfect world.
    I would sooner live in a tent then be stuck in an apartment building to be subjected to all the negative it comes with.
    Imagine buying a condo or in a lease just to be stuck next to an a#$hole with lengthy or nonexistent process to remedy the problem. So we can spend even more money on legal procedures to get out of the trap.(recent case in south Florida)

  • Chuck
    March 16, 2018, 5:23 pm

    How practical is a glass floor? And, why would you want a glass floor?

  • CSB
    March 17, 2018, 12:00 am

    Not for me, never want to be closed in, nor close in, in a city. I doubt it’s bullet proof either. This is just what the NWO wants tho, and I’ll never go for it. More power to you if you want to live like that, but not me. I see nothing new here but stacking them up.

  • Dana M Diaz-Campos
    March 17, 2018, 10:39 am

    I had dreamed of a way to bring tiny homes into Cities through vertical temporary mobile parks, using older vacant buildings with elevator systems as they do with some parking garages in Chicago. Of course these were thoughts and not plans. I like this idea in many ways but I feel like there’s been so many companies throughout the years with the idea of making affordable prefab homes built on an assembly line that have gone nowhere. I like his presentation and yet there are no numbers mentioned for cost of either the home or the racking system and especially not for moving the cube. Mentioning that the units slide in and out plug in etc., is cool but how does one get a crane into a tiny congested area of a city to slide the cube out if you do decide to move? How does the glass Cube part of the home actually travel regarding breakage or loosening? What happens when items within the unit breakdown like the slide out bed? There’s not a lot of space to repair and I’m wondering what type of warranty there are on parts? Believe me I think it’s a really cool look. I love the idea of a vertical RV Park. However even mentioning BMW gives me sticker shock. I don’t think this will ever be affordable to baristas. As to the size, there’s absolutely no privacy besides the bathroom. It seems like it would only house one person. I’m not trying to be a naysayer I just think that when you come out with a concept like this it seems well-thought-out and yet there’s no final dollar amount for any of it. If they don’t get the sales they want the price stays High and the company goes out of business. If you’ve purchased a unit you’re stuck with just a beautiful unit, nothing mobile or moveable. You can use if you have a piece of land to put it on in a progressive town or city. It is a beautiful box but I don’t think it’s ready for sales to the public yet as anything mobile or movable.

  • Sjcampini
    April 19, 2018, 12:48 am

    Unfortunately, your price is way to high for most people

    • Alex
      April 20, 2018, 7:00 am

      I know, it is too high… I’ve heard them say they are or will be working on a more basic model that will be more affordable but they chose to do the high end one first. Maybe the sales from the high end ones can help finance the more basic ones?

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