Another unique feature is the unconventional incorporation of solar panels. Typically, homes will have a roof with solar panels attached to the outside. The Northern Nomad incorporates solar panels into the roof itself, allowing seamless integration between the two and a sleek, glass-like finish. Even neater, the team is planning to take advantage of the cooling process of the panels to generate heat for the interior space. The tiny home only consumes as much energy as the solar panels generate in a year; the team has even run computer simulations to ensure this, estimating a net-zero energy performance. The tiny home functions off-grid; however, in the depth of winter, the duration of off-grid operation may be limited by the amount of sun exposure and how the occupants use the space.

A Digital Twin 

One fascinating element of the Northern Nomad project was the ability to create a ‘digital twin’ of the tiny home-- in other words, a digital replica of the real house. Using the BIM software Revit, the team was able to compile one single document that included every single building element. According to Seungyeon, this was a powerful collaborative tool that allowed students from various disciplines to work together.

The home’s digital twin will help to resolve potential maintenance conflicts down the road. To illustrate, if a pipe needs replacement, the digital twin can tell the team exactly where to cut so that other building components such as electrical wiring are not damaged.

The Northern Nomad team came up with a fantastic way to share their designs with others through the use of digital tours. At the bottom of this page, anyone can take a digital tour of the tiny home and learn about the specific design features. This fun, easy interactive tool is powerful for those who want to experience the home without physically visiting in person. The team produced an amazing promotional video using Twinmotion software that provides a compelling overview of the project and its features.

What’s next for the Northern Nomad? 

The Northern Nomad is currently situated on Carleton University’s campus and is officially in the research phase. Students are testing new technology and collecting data to determine which design features are best suited for Canada’s harsh climate.

There are multiple plans for the future of the Northern Nomad project. Data collection and research will continue on a variety of subjects ranging from energy recovery ventilation to atmospheric water generation.

The team is switching gears and fundraising to build a second tiny home: Tiny 2.0. They hope to design and build two (or more) tiny homes to examine the network of houses. The main goal will be to form a resilient, micro-grid network where homes can work together to achieve grid-independence. The idea is for the homes to generate power when the sun is up, store power in a storage system, and if one house runs out of power throughout the night, another house can power it.

To take this a step forward, the team is interested in employing this network in a local indigenous community that is is the first indigenous community to have a solar micro-grid installed.

We’re excited to continue this series on tiny homes designed and built by students. The design/build process allows students to put theory into practice and to learn construction skills as they complete a small-scale home. Thus far in the series, we’ve explored tiny home projects at Appalachian State University, Auburn University, Western Washington University, and Temple University. These projects show how people with little or no experience can build a tiny home.