LEEDing Tiny house joins green buzz
Photo courtesy of USGBC Florida
Looking to show how high-performance home building can happen on most any scale, a group in Florida has constructed what could be the first LEED-certified tiny home in the United States.
Dubbed "LEEDing Tiny," the 198-square-foot structure will seek to achieve LEED platinum certification, organizers said.
“I want everyone to benefit from living easier, meaningful lives and avoid all the white noise of stuff and clutter,” said Jenni Edwards, owner of Norsk Tiny Houses.
The project was headed up by USGBC Florida, which teamed with Eco Relics and Norsk Tiny Houses. They also received assistance from dozens of volunteers, who chipped in to make the home a reality.
The Jacksonville, Florida-based team's focus was to inspire and educate the public about making a home healthy, high-performing, environmentally sustainable and LEED-certified.
LEEDing Tiny was built primarily from reclaimed, recycled and repurposed materials.
Green features include flooring reclaimed from a local high school gym, all WaterSense fixtures and Energy Star appliances, a reflective roof, PV solar, a TED Pro Energy Metering system and counters made from fallen and reclaimed local wood.
Though the house is finished, the project is not. Developers plan to give to a U.S. veteran and possibly to use it to start a tiny house community for veterans in Northeast Florida.
Before donating LEEDing Tiny, USGBC Florida plans to take the home on an educational tour throughout Florida.
Companies: U.S. Green Building Council