Austin, Texas
Design: The Kasita team
The Kasita has outsized functionality in an undersized footprint. From ceiling to floor, every last cubic inch is designed to maximize the dweller’s experience. The result: “an exceptional small home that contains everything you need and nothing you don’t.” At least this is what Kasita’s company website says. While those are big claims, there’s no denying that this is one beautiful modern microdwelling, and with its technological enhancements, it’s sure to tickle a geek’s fancy.
“Smart technology” controls almost every element from heat to lighting, and the front window bay offers five levels of glass opacity, ranging from clear to “total blackout.” This is something I’ve never, ever seen in a tiny house, so consider me impressed. When it comes to appliances, the Kasita comes stocked with them all: an induction cooktop, an induction oven, a washer and dryer, and even a dishwasher. Kasita is also branding these as the only tiny houses that are stackable, making it possible to have a sort of rack of apartments. Such a setup would allow occupants, when they decide to move, to simply have their unit craned out and inserted into another apartment facility elsewhere. While this hasn’t been done just yet, and while, technically, shipping container houses are certainly stackable as well, there is a classy, futuristic elegance in this design that I rarely see with the units’ shipping-box counterparts.
Wowed yet? If not, Kasita is also working on a system of interchangeable wall tiles, allowing the occupant to change the tiles’ color and pattern as desired. While the style of this little house might not be for everyone, it is a very well-thought-out place. This may come as no surprise when you learn that, according to Kasita helmsman Jeff Wilson, more than 5,000 hours of engineering work went into it.
Inspiration: “Founder Jeff Wilson lived in a converted dumpster for a year to truly discover and examine small-space living and efficiency — and to later work his knowledge and experience into this design.”
The front windows are adjustable from sunny and clear to “total blackout.”
Yes, there is a bed — it pulls out from underneath the couch, trundle-style, much like the storage drawers that double as stairs in this three-tiered dwelling.
In Retrospect: “We continue to improve our design based on user feedback.”
