Good news! Malaysia has created the country’s first eco-responsive home. Get this: It produces zero energy and zero waste, it’s off grid and carbon neutral. A brainchild of Matthias Gelber and Dr Paul D’Arcy, the GreenMan Tiny Home – or Tiny Home for short – is self-sustainable and fully functional on its own. It’s capable of generating its own electricity, harvest rainwater for use, and it’s equipped to recycle its own waste.
The design was inspired by the traditional kampung house, and built with materials that were recycled, up-cycled, locally manufactured and sustainable. Although it’s a bit small with a floor space of 120 sq ft (that’s just about slightly smaller than a parking lot), the home can comfortably fit two adults and a child; but if need be, it can be expanded to fit a larger family. The best part about its compact size is that it’s portable and can easily be relocated, making it a viable solution to house victims of flood or other natural disasters.
Despite its small size, the house is equipped with a fully functioning toilet, kitchen, bedroom and even a skylight. Eco-friendly facilities include rainwater harvesting system, plus air ventilation and solar panels. It’s still a prototype at the moment, but we believe it has great potential to address the need for sustainable, eco-friendly living. You can head over to the Construction Research Institute of Malaysia (CREAM) where the prototype will be open for public viewing.
For more information, visit the project’s website where you can even find out how to build your own GreenMan Tiny Home.