Tiny House Tuesday: Frodo Lives

Today marks the beginning of a new biweekly feature at Living Small: Tiny House Tuesday. With all the spectacular Small architecture out there, I figured it was high time for a dedicated post. So, onto this week’s teeny.

WHO: Simon and Jasmine Saville and Family

WHERE: Wales

WHAT: Eco-conscious Hobbit Hole

SIZE: By my calculations, about 650 square feet

Paging Peter Jackson: your Lord of the Rings set has been relocated to the UK. Please collect.

Meet Simon and Jasmine Saville, the brains and the brawn behind this cozy dugout in the Welsh countryside. The woody structure, which houses the Saville family foursome, was the product of the Savilles’ desire for a home of their own, but one that came with a small fiscal and environmental price tag. Though neither Simon nor Jasmine had any formal architectural or carpentry training, the two, with the help of Jasmine’s father and a handful of friends, drafted plans, gathered materials, and set to work. The result? A gorgeous (if a bit Tolkienish) low-impact home for their family.

Special Features!

• Stones and mud excavated during the Big Dig were repurposed as retaining walls and foundation
• Straw bale insulation is easy on the planet, doesn’t off-gas, and helps keep out the cold
• Framing, floors, and fittings crafted from reclaimed wood found on the property and at other construction sites
• Fridge keeps food fresh by way of cool air circulating through foundation; toilet composts leftovers
• Rainwater collected on the roof feeds the garden

More delightful dugouts:

Bag End, Bilbo et Frodo Baggins’ smial.

Laura Ingalls Wilder’s sod house on Plum Creek.

Jack and Rose’s Hippie Home, from The Ballad of Jack and Rose (starring Daniel Day-Lewis, professional heartthrob; course, this is Rose, and house is peeking out behind her — see the skylight?)

Seen any other hillside homes?

Thanks to Kent @ the Tiny House Blog for this post.