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French Tiny House with Japanese Flair
Due to the country’s towing laws, French tiny houses give firms less room to work with than their US counterparts. With this in mind, Baluchon had a real challenge to make the 6.5 m (21 ft) long and 4 m (13 ft) high Calypso suitable for use as a full-time home for a family of three. The recently-completed Calypso is clad in red cedar, with one section charred in the Japanese Shou Sugi Ban method that’s often used to preserve wood, but appears to be decorative in this case. Inside, the tiny house should have plenty of natural light thanks to generous glazing and the finish looks to a high…
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Off-grid Tiny House in Shou Sugi Ban Style
Canadian green living proponent Greenmoxie recently completed its first tiny house. The firm is off to a strong start, and alongside some impressive off-grid technology the eponymous dwelling includes novel features you don’t usually expect to see in a tiny house – most notably an electric drawbridge-style deck. The Greenmoxie Tiny House comprises a total floorspace of 340 sq ft, and is based on a triple-axle trailer. Its siding consists of cedar that’s treated in the Japanese Shou Sugi Ban technique of charring wood to preserve it. Other notable materials include hardwood oak flooring, reclaimed barn wood ceilings, and reclaimed windows. Access to the house is gained via a door…
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Escape’s latest tiny house has a Japanese flavor
A big-hitter in the small living scene, Escape’s tiny house models always offer good build quality and smart design. The firm’s latest tiny house, the Escape One, is no different, and features a Japanese-style charred wood exterior and a well thought-out interior. Based on a 25 ft-long trailer, the One has a total floorspace of 276 sq ft. It’s clad in wood that’s charred using the centuries-old Japanese Shou Sugi Ban method thought to preserve wood and protect it from pests and decay. The interior layout is pretty simple. On the ground floor lies a small lounge area, which sports a surprisingly small window compared to the glazing in the rest of…
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Minimalist Muji Hut with Shou Sugi Ban
Japanese retailer Muji has entered the small living scene with a tiny new hut. Featuring an attractive minimalist design, the Muji Hut is about as basic as it gets, but could suit those looking for a simple cabin in the woods, a home office, or guest accommodation. The Muji Hut has a total floorspace of 97 sq ft inside, but there’s also a small porch area that adds another 32 sq ft of space. The exterior is Shou Sugi Ban treated cedar. Shou Sugi Ban, which is a centuries-old Japanese technique of charring wood to preserve it, used to be rather exotic in the small living movement but is now…
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Shou ‘Piney’ Ban: Finishing Southern Pine with Fire
Since 2004, Michael Moran, and now his partner Celia Gibson, can be found, chisel in hand, building each unique object one piece at a time, one hand-cut joint at a time, watching wood become a functional work of art. Moran says his vision is one in which materials, primarily wood, and its natural characteristics are central. Taking these characteristics into consideration, our intention is to place each individual board and its idiosyncrasies into a context where it is best expressed aesthetically, ideologically and functionally. “Since we’ve been working with charring pine, we make sure to not refer to it as Shou Sugi Ban (the name inherently implies the use of…
