Elon Musk lives out of tiny 375-square-foot prefab trailer

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by Ehpoulsen

I doubt this is something that people would actually live in? Unless they are out in space or something?

Living in an inflatable house would be quite strange, yet the sci-fi looks may be interesting. Well, maybe the same design applied to hard materials with an air layer in-between could improve thermal and acoustic comfort.

[Cd]

Originally Posted by cRiPpLe_rOoStEr

Living in an inflatable house would be quite strange, yet the sci-fi looks may be interesting. Well, maybe the same design applied to hard materials with an air layer in-between could improve thermal and acoustic comfort.

I wouldn't have been able to resist the urge to shoot one with a pellet gun when I was a teen.

[Cd]

I wanted to ask everyone here what their opinion is of Quonset huts.
I am interested in the Boxabl home, but am also looking at other options.
From what I have read, Quonset huts are not as efficient as normal homes.
What are some of the main drawbacks of Quonset huts ?
If you install inner walls and insulation, would this make the huts as efficient as a normal home ?
Would that just be senseless, since you are building a home within the hut itself, and could just build it without the hut in the first place ?

They are extremely cheap to buy, but what is the true cost once they are installed ?
Do they require any roofing maintainance besides caulking around the bolts and such every few years ?

I see the main drawback as the lack of space, and lack of light. How easy is it to cut sections in the roof and add skylights ? ( using corrugated plastic sheets )

I'm also looking at those round tentlike homes ( can't think of the name at the moment )

[freebeard]

Yurt?

I first took notice of the Quonset hut in the one-time Republic of South Vietnam in the late 1960s. We (2nd Civil Affairs Company ) worked with a Catholic charity and their (pastor?) was building a Quonset on a stem wall for a school library. They used brick and mortar made from cement they repulverized when it had hardened in the bag.

Anyways, putting it on a stem wall completely changes the interior space. The wall can be counter height or door height. It really opens things up.

Then I came home and build geodesic domes on stem walls out of plywood.

The WWII competitor to the Quonset hut is the Dymaxion Deployment Unit based on the Butler grain elevator with compound curve pieces added for strength..



The DDU was 20ft in diameter, so 314sq ft.

The modern product that supercedes the Quonset (technically a barrel vault) is Steelmaster and their any competitors. Where the Quonset had ribs and sheathing, the newer ones are a single layer of metal bent three different ways: curved/folded plate/corrugations so it's self-supporting. And they come in different sizes.


http://www.steelmasterusa.com/news/s...set-hut-homes/

An alternative to a stem wall would be to put one side on grade to the North and have a passive solar wall on the South.

Another alternative would be a short, wide vault with big windows on both ends.

Or an 8ft wall with 90-120 degree arc for a roof.

And you could always add a trolley top in any case.

edit: While I was gathering support material I found this in the DDU's further reading: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patera_Building. This is what Elon Musk uses for the SpaceX stacking bays.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by Cd

I wanted to ask everyone here what their opinion is of Quonset huts.

If I were going to build a house, probably I would shape it like a Quonset hut.

[Cd]

YKYAEM when you wonder what the drag coefficient is on a house.
( I think the geodesic dome would win )

[freebeard]

Saves me saying it.

3/8th sphere produces lift. You have to strap them down so they don't blow away. 5/8th sphere has more frontal area but proportionately less lift so IDK.

'Any way the wind blows, doesn't matter to me, to meeee' Freddy Mercury

The zenith of the dome has the fastest local air. So, a vertical axis windmill there. Follow Julian Edgar's article on Autospeed on vibration damping for the mount.
autospeed.com.au/cms/a_112904/article
Fan above and generator below the mounting point in counterbalance.
________________

I'm thinking bout re-registering over at EcoRenovator and posting a design brief there.

[ME_Andy]

My first impression was, the Boxabl home seems pricey. $50k for 375sf. But then I compared with a tiny home builder that has very reasonable prices... And Boxabl won!

https://www.incredibletinyhomes.com/ith-pricing/

[freebeard]

My standard for comparison is the Summit Structures tiny house shell.

https://www.summitstructures-or.com/

I had them price out a 10x24. That's a shorty single-wide. 240sq ft. for $20,000. If 480sq ft is wanted, I'd put two side-by-side with a 10ft garden in between. Fence with gate at one end and veranda/gallery at the rear.

Anyways, $20K for the shell and $10K for a clip-on utility module made from OEM Tesla parts plus solar hot water, and $2K for an Ikea kitchen and bath.

[rmay635703]

Originally Posted by Cd

I wanted to ask everyone here what their opinion is of Quonset huts.
I am interested in the Boxabl home, but am also looking at other options.
From what I have read, Quonset huts are not as efficient as normal homes.
What are some of the main drawbacks of Quonset huts ?
If you install inner walls and insulation, would this make the huts as efficient as a normal home ?
Would that just be senseless, since you are building a home within the hut itself, and could just build it without the hut in the first place ?

They are extremely cheap to buy, but what is the true cost once they are installed ?
Do they require any roofing maintainance besides caulking around the bolts and such every few years ?

I see the main drawback as the lack of space, and lack of light. How easy is it to cut sections in the roof and add skylights ? ( using corrugated plastic sheets )

I'm also looking at those round tentlike homes ( can't think of the name at the moment )

Efficiency can mean many things
That hut is not space efficient

Energy efficiency is based on internal area versus contact surfaces

A short large diameter hut could be very efficient
Just need to realize the “walls” are all considered roofing area which needs more insulation

If memory serves they are illegal within the city here (for new construction) so always check your cities beautification nut jobs before going too far

Next if legal the spray on foam roofing that businesses use make excellent waterproofing and insulation on a hut could get r50+ on the outside

Lastly metal structures that are insulated are regionally limited by humidity, they are notorious for mold if placed in the wrong climate which means mandatory dehumidification if you live in the wrong environment