Kasita Repeata Preview...

Jeff Wilson, CEO of Kasita, giving a brief introduction.

*Update 7/24/2016 - Kirsten Dirksen did a wonderful documentary on the Kasita while I was down there visiting. If you are DFW Tiny House Enthusiast you may spot some people you know!

A much anticipated trip to Austin occurred this past Saturday via an invite from Austin Tiny Houses/Co-Housing Building Meetup which allowed the members from the DFW Tiny House Enthusiasts to view the Kasita prototype. I got to the site early (read, 30 min. early) and was happy to see that I wasn't the only one! An added bonus of getting there early was meeting Kirsten Dirksen who was onsite interviewing Jeff Wilson.

Built to international building codes, this 208 sq. ft. micro home unit is Jeff Wilson's solution to providing home ownership in an ever increasing drought of affordable housing. Much like condos, one does not need to own the land on which the Kasita occupies, only the unit. However, unlike condos and more like RVs, the Kasita can be moved if the owners decide to move (although there are limitations). Blending the concept of RV into a vertical condo structure makes the construct of Kasita more unique and versatile. For a better visual of this vertical RV/condo structure, I recommend this website. The ability to stack these micro units is the design characteristic that interest me the most, not so much the interior design.

Kasita Repeata in Austin, TX

Like many other versions of tiny homes and micro units, the Kasita is built with all the amenities of a contemporary home. The Kasita's particular design style is very streamlined along a minimalist modular concept. I took pictures of the inside but... they sucked because all these annoying people who were just as interested in the building as I was kept getting in the way of my picture taking. Luckily, fellow DFW Tiny House Enthusiasts were able to magically take much better pictures of the interior.

To start the virtual tour, one enters via the step ladder and through the red sliding door. The half galley kitchen is front and off-center (and if you've read my earlier post, you know I'm not a fan of the galley kitchen). The light at the end of this tunnel is a 5-sided glass deck protrusion at the far end of the living room.

Kitchen Galley by Cory of www.tinymodernhomes.com

Lower Kitchen Cabinets by Markus

Living Room by Cory of www.tinymodernhomes.com

That light at the end of the galley is an excellent draw which invites visitors into a surprisingly spacious living area with ample seating and storage options. The couch is flush along the kitchen-side wall. There's a steep step from the kitchen into the living room and I couldn't figure out why it was designed that way until Jeff demonstrated that the couch extends from the wall to reveal a queen sized bed. 

Sofa/Queen Size Bed by Markus

  Since the Kasita wasn't hooked up, it was like a sauna inside from the sun exposure through the glass decking. The unit was oriented South meaning that it was getting the maximum light exposure which would be great if it were Winter. Since it wasn't, I expressed concern about heat and affordability of cooling the unit. Interestingly enough, the glass is dynamic - meaning that it is polarized and can go completely black. There's five levels of shading with the 5th level being the all black option. Additionally, the glass can be controlled so that only the lower half is blacked out and the upper half of the glass is clear. That's one impressive design feature!

Glass Deck by Markus

After exploring the intricacies of the living room, I got curious about the bathroom which led me back to the entrance of the unit. My judgement is that the bathroom is too compact for me (especially since I've already decided that I really want/need a bathtub in my next tiny house).

Bathroom Toilet & Sink by Markus

Bathroom Shower by Cory of www.tinymodernhomes.com

This was my first meetup with the DFW Tiny House Enthusiasts group and I ended up meeting some great people. I didn't stick around for lunch with them because I knew I'd have more chances to engage in our shared interests and I wanted to go see a friend I hadn't visited with in almost 6 years! I'm looking forward to next weekend's meetup about Tiny House designs.

I have to say again, I'm really glad I found the DFW Tiny House Enthusiasts.

Front Row: Lewis, Jenn, Jet, Ashley, Markus, Sharkey
Back Row: Cory, Rob, Robert