“How do we live in connection with the place and nature here?”
That was Walker’s question in mind before he started with the construction of his house, which he shares with his wife, Heather, their only daughter, and their dog.
They all used to live in a five-bedroom house in Portland, Oregon before they decided to go tiny with this biophilic house.
Biophilic? What’s that?
Biophilia is the innate human instinct to connect with nature and other living beings. A biopilic house or design uses this concept to create a house connected to nature within an urban setting.
Because a biophilic house is connected to nature, it “can become more calming & restorative, with 7-8 % less crime attributed to areas with access to nature and can command an increase of 4-5% in property price.”
Walker was also inspired by the Living Building Challenge with the construction of his tiny home.
The Living Building Challenge focuses on critical high-level goals, must be holistic, and addresses all seven Petals or performance categories.
“The living building challenge suggests that a building should function like a flower, rooted in its place. It should restore a healthy relationship with nature, collect and treat water, be net energy positive relying on solar income, foster a healthy human environment both mentally and physically, use materials that are safe, support a just equitable world and also be beautiful and uplifting to the human spirit,” Bryce explained.
And this is what Walker and Heather plan to have with their tiny home.
They’ve moved out of the big house and into a 500 sqft. (46 sqm.) lot beside the house and added a 250 sqft. (23 sqm.) tiny home. Their house is surrounded by nature, with different trees, flower pots, and a living roof.
The living roof is a great part of the house because it’s self-sustaining and helps insulate the house.
And they can be grid-tied or grid-independent, whichever they choose.
Together with their builder, Ben Garratt, their tiny house, Hügge Home, has 2 bedroom lofts with salvaged oak ceiling, and a large kitchen with beatle kill blue pine live edge counter-top, an electric oven, propane stove, and a second-hand farmhouse deep sink.
It’s got its own indoor bathroom with a shower/tub, composting toilet, and pebbled floors. And of course, it’s got a relaxing lounge with lots of hidden nooks and crannies for guests.
The whole interior was designed by Heather, who was inspired by the Scandinavian lifestyle concept called Hygge.
Hygge lifestyle is the art of cozy that leads to a feeling of contentment or well-being. And the whole house and the lot clearly display that.
And this is just Phase 1.
They’re working towards Phase 2, which includes gray water, rainwater collection, urine diversion, and aquaponics.
Wow! We always thought you’d have to go to the rural area to be able to live like this. But it turns out there are tools to live this way in the urban setting.
Is it costly to design and construct a house and lot with a biophilic design?
It can be. Walker admitted that he’s already spent around $100,000 but not at the same time. That’s most likely why he’s doing it in phases so he can manage the costs.
What do you think? Can you live in a biophilic house?
Want to see what the inside of the house looks like? Watch the video below.
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