The Maushaus project was the brainchild of Sigma Dolins and her interdisciplinary team: Kayce Flowers, Keith Guiley, Will Hsu, and Jared Stoltzfus. This project was our answer to the lack of affordable housing and alternatives to detached singled family housing in the Phoenix Valley. Maushaus was envisioned as a showcase micro-dwelling building to demonstrate green energy and sustainable living habits. With little more than $6000 from different corporate sponsors and a successful Kickstarter with over 60 donors, Maushaus features a compostable toilet, dual paned windows, an Ikea kitchen and a loft with a queen-sized bed. We designed and built it from recycled structural insulated panels (SIP), which allows for increased energy savings from its high insulation rating. Despite summers in Arizona reaching over 110 F, the inside of Maushaus can reach up to 20 degrees cooler, even without air-conditioning. With our research and design, we realized the energy and financial savings such a house can deliver for its owners. Through this experience, we calculate that a brand new Maushaus will cost around $30,000 – incredibly affordable housing, especially if deployed on a mass scale.

Upon completion, it was displayed on the Arizona State University campus and featured on Good Morning Arizona, a local news station. It is currently touring the Phoenix valley at schools and functions, prompting conversations about sustainability and housing.

With the rise in the popularity of micro dwellings across America and the heightened sensitivity to climate change issues, we believe there is a market for smaller housing: affordable, efficient, and mobile. If you are interested, please contact Sigma Dolins.

Image via Maushaus