This month Santa Clara University’s Tiny House got a big celebration at Santa Clara University where

hundreds of students, faculty and staff, stopped by to congratulate the team for winning the SMUD Tiny

House Competition, a new competition challenging collegiate teams to design and build net-

zero, tiny solar houses. SCU beat out 8 other California universities and colleges, taking home the win for

their 238 square foot rEvolve house built on a 28ft x 102″ wide Tiny House Basics Trailer.

This tiny house competition winner is set on a tiny house trailer connected to a COLOSSUN solar tracking

ring that allows the entire house to revolve as the sun moves across the sky, improving the home’s solar efficiency by 30 percent.

The home also features a living room that converts to a bedroom with a Murphy bed that can be pulled

down at night. A full-sized kitchen incorporates a seating area with a fold-out table, and a 35-square-foot

wet bathroom with a dry-flush toilet that eliminates the use of a blackwater system completes the package.

The walls are constructed with structural insulated panels, making the home stronger and more energy

efficient than a traditional stick-framed home.

The rEvolve Tiny house competition winner also features an accessible roof deck that provides an

expanded seating area for six.

In order to support an off-grid lifestyle, this Tiny House is powered entirely by eight 330-watt Sunmodule

solar panels. The house stores its energy using saltwater batteries, the only batteries in the world to be

Cradle to Cradle certified.

Teams took two years to work on their tiny homes, using time to research and develop a design to meet all

standards of the competition. Construction on the rEvolve Tiny House began in June 2016.

This Tiny house will be donated to Operation Freedom Paws, a nonprofit dedicated to teaching veterans and

others with disabilities to train their own service dogs, and was designed with its final destination in

mind.

The doorways, showers and appliances are all accessible from a wheelchair. The bed unfolds from the

wall, providing plenty of living space and a open, airy atmosphere. this feature is designed for clients suffering from

PTSD. Surfaces are tough enough to withstand the rigors of pet ownership while being easily cleaned.

There is a vacuum built into the wall to collect dog hair and a drawer with dog bowls that emerges from

the wall.

“I think that’s the coolest part,” said George Giannos, student construction lead. “Our house has

meaning and it’s going to make someone’s life better.”

Photos by: Joanna Lee

To build your own award winning Tiny House, Start with the Ultimate Tiny House Trailer by Tiny House Basics and request a free quote below