DOORS&WINDOWS
TINY HOUSE WINDOWS
However, May’s concerns do raise a number
of technical points; not only storage but also
ways of ensuring that every part of a tiny
home can deliver on the potential it has to
offer to the market, the economy, the people
of the UK and the environment.
While I am not qualified to comment on
storage, I can advise on choosing windows
for a tiny house and there are several things
to consider. Picture windows are the cheapest
option, but when the occupants of your
home get to summer, they will appreciate
your forethought in specifying single hung or
casement windows instead.
There are other temperature and weather
factors that are essential to address. Naturally,
you should always opt for double glazed units
and, if the plan is to take advantage of the
mobility a tiny house offers, the glass should
be tempered, and shutters should also be
specified.
Most modern windows are reinforced
anyway, but if the tiny home will be mobile
in the long term, composite supports can be
lighter than galvanised steel, while the latter
option will be cheaper. PVCu or composite
materials will provide the longest lasting
choice for the frame, which in context is
probably the most sustainable option as well.
High specification does not have to add to
building cost because the entire window unit
can be built off site, using a factory thinking
approach, and delivered as a fait accompli in
line with a just-in-time construction schedule.
A tiny home also presents an architect with
unusual window specification challenges that
a traditional building does not. Two opening
windows positioned opposite each other could
create a strong cross draft. As a result, trickle
ventilation, to allow air to circulate even when
the windows are shut is good practice.
There is also a strong likelihood that you
will want either dormer or awning windows
in your second story or loft. However, when
they, or other windows are left open, the wind
forces more air into the building, making
the door slam as the rush of air exits, pulling
the door shut behind it. In a normal house,
this can make you jump. In a tiny house, just
like a caravan or regular mobile home, it can
make the pictures come crashing down off the
walls.
Finally, frame colour and handle choice
are key considerations. As much as tiny
homes could be a political option, allowing
the UK the tackle the housing shortage and
homelessness in a sustainable way, they can
also be a style choice. For many, they represent
an alternative way of living, just as a canal
barge or eco home would. If you are designing
for this market, aesthetic considerations come
into play even more strongly.
THE FUTURE OF TINY HOMES
Tiny homes are not only faster and more cost
effective to build, they are also, well… tiny. As
a result, the footprint they occupy is ideal for
inner city environments, where a small plot,
that would normally only deliver three or four
affordable homes, could instead provide nine to
twelve, or six with substantial outside space.
I doubt whether, in ten years’ time, we
will all be living in 1000 square foot homes,
but wouldn’t it be great if, by 2030, everyone
had affordable access to a comfortable place
to live and our nation had achieved that in a
sustainable way?
When she was talking about her 1997 book
recently, Susanka said, “Not So Big doesn’t
necessarily mean small. It means not as big as
you thought you needed”. I think this nicely
summarises the tiny home’s potential for the
UK housing market; the crisis might not be as
big as we thought, if we consider solving part
of it with smaller solutions.
www.euramaxuk.com
CLEARVIEW-UK.COM » AUG 2020 » 25