Modern SaltBox Tiny House Uses a CNC-cut Panelized Construction System (Video)

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Updated October 11, 2018

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The tiny house movement has evolved immensely over the last few years. What started as a underground niche of people building their own homes has grown into a bona fide building industry in its own right, with an increasing number of professional builders cropping up, some of them innovating with interesting building techniques in framing, prefabrication and insulation.

Santa Fe, New Mexico's Extraordinary Structures is one of these companies experimenting with new methods in building smaller, smarter structures, utilizing digital fabrication and SIPs (structural insulated panels) in their builds. Here's a tour of one their 200-square-foot models, the SaltBox, via Tiny Home Tours:

© Kate Russell Photography

The SaltBox has been constructed with a rapid-assembly system that the company has developed, combining CNC-cut materials and a panelized system of SIPs that cut down on construction time. The first layer of the exterior is a envelope of permeable house wrap and a thermal wrap of mineral wool board. That's covered with a metal exoskeleton of 22-gauge steel that acts as a rain shield and is meant to weather and change colour over time. The roofline's asymmetrical shape reference the New England traditional saltbox-type roof -- it also is a more convenient angle for installing solar panels.

© Kate Russell Photography

Stepping in, one can see that it's a minimalist and modern space, with the panels left exposed so that the joints can be seen. The space feels more open, thanks to the built-in storage cabinets and Murphy bed that hinges up and out of the way when it's not needed. At night, the bed is brought down, and rests on ottomans for support.

© Kate Russell Photography

To the other side sits the kitchen and the bathroom, which share a wall in order to reduce the amount of plumbing lines that have to be installed.

© Kate Russell Photography

The kitchen has a full-size sink, over-the-sink dish drainer, two-burner induction cooktop, a fume hood and a small smart drawer refrigerator.

Tiny House Tours/Video screen capture

Inside the bathroom, there's a composting toilet and hand-built cedar Japanese-style ofuro soaking tub.

Right above the bathroom is a felt-lined loft that could be used as a reading nook or an extra loft for guests to bed down on.

Tiny House Tours/Video screen capture

The house sits on a 24-foot-long trailer and is heated with a high-efficiency gasifier woodstove that takes up a small footprint. The model seen in the video above with all the options was sold at USD $82,500 but a more basic model can be built for $50,000. While it's not your cheaper, DIY tiny house, this small home nevertheless has a thoughtfully designed layout that would appeal to those who hate lofts, who want a soaking tub and who might need a tiny house built quickly and professionally. For more info, visit Extraordinary Structures.