Copeland Casati reveiled their new website: Green Cabin Kits where they present their two customizable designs: CornerHouse is an expandable design that’s versatile enough for urban infill or some rural location in the middle of nowhere. The Dogtrot Mod is also expandable but a little different. It features an open court in the middle to ventilate and separate the living spaces.  Both kits were designed to accomodate rainwater collection and solar power generation.

//Casati writes about the CornerHouse:

‘Well suited for both urban and rural sites, the CornerHouse promotes passive solar heating and natural ventilation through a large veranda and glazed wall on the building’s corner. Like The Dogtrot Mod , the CornerHouse cladding and roof system are integral to the building’s performance, deflecting direct heat gain in the warmer months and lengthening the life span of materials through proper ventilation.

In layout, an open floor plan on the first level with a shared living, dining, and kitchen space gives the interior a sense of grandeur while minimizing the building’s overall footprint. Upstairs bedrooms both have access to a shared porch, and a third bedroom space shares function with an office at the top of the stair.

Cladding options include natural wood species, metal panels, cement fiberboard panels, and photovoltaic cells. Interiors can be upfit as desired with custom cabinetry or can utilize Ikea’s modular cabinet systems.’

//Casati writes about the Dogtrot Mod:

‘Echoing vernacular southern housing, The Dogtrot Mod is ideally suited for warmer, rural and suburban environments with reasonable access to a southern exposure. The key component, a open court in the middle of the house, promotes natural ventilation and extends the living space to the outdoors.

A rain screen cladding system and detached roof system both further the building’s warm weather performance by deflecting direct heat gain before it hits the actual building envelope. Large glazed walls on the south are placed to take advantage of passive solar heating in the cooler months. In layout, an open floor plan with a large shared living, dining, and kitchen space directly off the court gives the interior a sense of grandeur while minimizing the building’s overall footprint.

A master bedroom is separated from the more public spaces by the kitchen/bath core and has direct access to a small office. The other bedrooms are separated from the main house by the court for additional privacy.

Cladding options include natural wood species, metal panels, cement fiberboard panels, and photovoltaic cells. Interiors can be upfit as desired with custom cabinetry or can utilize Ikea’s modular cabinet systems.’

The cabins appear to be designed and produced by the Tektonics Design Group of Richmond, Virginia, which control both the design and fabrication in-house.

The basic shell, including SIPs, roof membrane and exterior house wrap is quoted at about $ 85 per square foot. Casati writes that the balance of the work would be about 15-20% more, bringing the total cost to about $100.

The cabins are built with SIPs and steel and can be customized in an endless manner to suit the needs of a future cabin owner.

For more information visit: Green Cabin Kits.