Hey everyone!
It's Danielle from Exploring Alternatives.
In this video we're checking out a hobbit house at the eco resort called
Les Toits du Monde
which means Roofs of the World.
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It has a green roof with these really cool extensions to it
that come all the way down to the ground
that provide additional shade for the house
so that it actually keeps it really cool during the summer
and helps retain some of the heat during the winter.
It also has a solar panel to power all of the lights,
a wood stove,
and they don't have plumbing so instead they've got a composting toilet,
they bring in jugs of drinking water,
and for the shower they fill up a portable solar shower.
The house is currently a vacation rental at this eco resort
but we think it's big enough, and comfortable enough,
and really well designed so that you could actually live in a house like this
if you wanted to live off grid and you could probably have up to four people in here.
So let's go take a look inside!
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This is the inside of the hobbit house.
You can see the walls are all round.
The hobbit house was built with straw bales and then they plastered it with
a natural limestone plaster on top.
So I think that's why it was easier for them to do a round shape.
And actually all of the lines in this hobbit house are kind of
rounded...there's not really any right angles which is kind of nice
it's got a really natural feeling in it and
I really like the dome that they've put right in the centre of the hobbit house.
That brings in a lot of natural light, too.
And it really makes you feel like you're just part of the forest, which I guess is the idea
in a hobbit house.
Over here there's a kitchen with a natural edge countertop
and a really neat sink.
And the hobbit house is all off grid so they have to bring in jugs of water.
They use a small propane cooktop for cooking and
you can see here there's a propane line going through
the back of the counter and outside to the tank.
Over here, a super nice rounded doorway and actually...I'll just show you this door.
Look how nice this door is.
So this is the shower stall and then they have a solar shower bag here
so this is a bag that you would fill up with water and leave outside so that the sun would
heat up the water and give you a hot shower
and then it has this pump so you can create your own water pressure
and then the water would go through the tube and then you have a little nozzle here that
you can use to wash off.
So it's a pretty simple low-tech solution which I really like.
Less stuff to break.
And then behind the door there's a little porthole window which is really cute.
Gives you some nice ventilation for the toilet.
So this is just a composting toilet.
Looks like a 5 gallon bucket and they use sawdust
so they've just got this cute little compartment there with sawdust and a little mug to sprinkle
on after each use.
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Over here we've got a couple of inset beds, set right into the wall which is really neat.
so it kind of creates a sense of privacy even though they're clearly part of the main room.
I'm assuming the top bunk is for adults because the opening is a little bit bigger
so it wouldn't be as claustrophobic
and this one seems more like a little kind of nook that I think kids would have a lot
of fun in.
I really like how they integrated the steps right into the wall here
so it still lets in some light and then you can just climb up using these rope handles.
This is a little sitting area
and again they've used wood in a different way so that each little area in the house
feels a little bit different
so here they've put the ends of small logs to decorate the bench.
And it's a cozy little sitting area so let's say someone wants to sleep
it feels like you could still have a lot of privacy over here, maybe a light is on and
stuff,
without disturbing the person who's sleeping in the other room.
So you get open concept kind of community living here but you still have little areas,
little nooks in the house that give you a bit of privacy.
The hobbit house is totally off grid and we are in Canada so obviously it's going to get
cold sometimes
so the whole house is heated with just this one wood stove.
This is a pretty epic eating area with these huge log columns.
And a nicely carved table.
So they have lots of windows here and you get lots of natural light in the house
even though they have those kind of extensions to the green roof outside that,
from the outside, it looks like it would create a lot of shade
but when you're in here it's actually really bright.
And then last but not least, no hobbit house would be complete without a small round door
that you have to duck into to get in although I think I fit under there so that might make
me a bit of a hobbit.
Overall, I really like this hobbit house for a lot of reasons.
I love the round shape, I love the natural light that's coming in from all sides,
I love all the different ways that they've incorporated natural wood into the house,
I love all the rafters and everything.
It just has a really warm cozy feeling.
I think the green roof is really helping to keep this house cool because it's really blazing
hot outside right now
but we're actually really nice in here.
Feels like there's air conditioning.
This could be a really good option for someone who's looking to build something really cheap
and off the grid
but using local materials that seem to be mostly found on site.
Thanks for watching, I hope you enjoyed this video!
If you liked it, give it a thumbs up and subscribe to see more like it.
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