The origins of this tiny home came from the need to provide Auckland based builders on site accommodation in a holiday spot 1.5 hours north of Auckland. A family holiday home is planned for this site and the main builder is the homeowner’s son. A transportable tiny home became the most practical and cost-effective solution to providing long term accommodation for the builders. With that in mind, the project is affectionately dubbed “The Builders Shed”. It soon became evident this building should not only withstand the immediate needs of the builders, but needed to be future proofed to function as guest accommodation once the main house was built. With the end use in mind, the builders shed was somewhat up specked. The layout was designed by the family, and the outer shell was prefabricated off site and delivered on the back of a truck to site by EziLiv. The building meets all building code requirements. Stop digging piles were used to enjoy minimum disturbance to the land and should the building ever be moved there would be no footprint left behind. Once delivered on site this creative family set about DIYing the entire interior fit out. resulting in a high-end finish. To future proof this building the materiality of both the exterior & interior fit out was carefully selected to be robust, suit the coastal environment, stand the test of time and be low maintenance. Solar power is used for all exterior lighting. Part of future proofing this cabin was to enable the building to be able to be transported off site should circumstance change. The immediate needs of 2 builders were meet alongside the needs of future house guests.

It was very evident the builders would not want to share a bathroom, nor would future house guests, therefore the number one priority around liveability was 2 generous bedrooms, each with its own bathroom. Comfortable well-proportioned lounge furniture was the next priority. This all needed to be contained within the 58m2 footprint. The kitchen required a dishwasher, more refrigeration than a bar fridge can offer, a cook top and if not an oven (due to building regulations) a BBQ capable of acting like an oven. The aim of this tiny home build was to deliver well-proportioned functioning spaces within the tiny footprint. Creating liveable outdoor spaces proved a key solution to enabling a large dining area and a second lounge, allowing the occupants various areas to retreat too, thus providing a greater sense of space and multipole living options. Both the outdoor dining and outdoor lounge areas can be shut off from the elements, providing shelter from the rain or shade from the sun, with pull down blinds and an outdoor heater and outdoor fire, comfortable outdoor living is achieved well into the evening during both summer and winter months.

EziLiv delivered a strong well built, fully insulated, double-glazed structure on a frame with axels and tow bars to facilitate towing. The overall 58m2 footprint is split in two buildings to enable the home to meet roading requirements and attention to detail around this functionality is evident in the buildings structure. The entire interior fit out was completed by these talented family members themselves, each bringing their own individual skills to the project. Painting, whitewashing, floor laying all executed by the family. Feature lighting was designed and created made by a family member. Soft furnishings such as the wall hung bedheads, hand-stitched cushions, thermally lined window treatments and all the outdoor squabs were carefully crafted by a family member. A standard flat pack kitchen was redesigned with the addition of bespoke handles and upright panels crafted and assembled on site by mother and daughter. Decks were constructed by the builder of the family. The biggest challenge was the tiling of showers and bench tops, this also was completed by family members and the mosaic tiling became a time-consuming labour of love. After many online tutorials and meticulous attention to detail, the results speak for themselves.

This has been included and covered under Liveability, although a special feature for functionality lies in the layout of the ensuite bedroom to the 2nd Bedroom. This bathroom needed to act as an ensuite, whilst also servicing extras friends of the family that may be staying in the on-site caravan or tents over the busy holiday season. Hence the outdoor access to this bathroom and separation from the bedroom it serves. The extensive outdoor decks also provide various spaces to relax outside the the confines of this small home

This has been achieved both inside and out with months of meticulous planning. Both the exterior and interior colour palate was influenced by the unique sand dune environment within which this site is located. The owners were very specific about creating a calm spacious feel. To achieve this effect a neutral colour palate reigns, materials are cohesive, and the fittings are of a high quality. This vibe has been extended to the landscaping, where natural dune planting has been used on mass. Extensive use of decking and louvres adds considerable size to the cabin and links the 2 building to one another in a visually pleasing yet practical way.

This tiny home has shown us what we can live without. There is a quiet calm in having everything you need, while eliminating all the things you don’t need. Working on this build as a family has given each member a sense of ownership and pride.