London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Sep 03, 2025

This Tiny, Off-Grid Prefab Home Grows Its Own Food

This Tiny, Off-Grid Prefab Home Grows Its Own Food

Gray Organschi Architecture and the Yale Center for Ecosystems in Architecture team up to create the Ecological Living Module, a self-sufficient tiny home, in just eight weeks.

Worldwide, an estimated one billion people live in informal settlements that often lack reliable water, sanitation, food, and electricity-and yet, the housing sector already contributes more than a third of global greenhouse gas emissions. How can design and architecture alleviate this complex problem?



The Ecological Living Module (ELM) was installed at the UN Headquarters in New York City for two months.

In the summer of 2018, the Yale Center for Ecosystems in Architecture and the New Haven, Connecticut–based architecture firm Gray Organschi Architecture addressed these issues through the design and construction of a 230-square-foot tiny home, the Ecological Living Module (ELM), as a housing prototype. The model home was installed at the UN Headquarters in New York and was designed to take advantage of sustainable materials, green technology, and simple construction methods—and was also efficient, adaptable, and fully off-grid.



The tiny home was oriented to best take advantage of the sun, and an entire facade of the building was designed to hold greenery.

The micr0-home was first prefabricated in an off-site production facility. It was then transported to the site-UN Plaza in New York City-on the back of a 22-foot semi. The home was set on a lightweight foundation, and the roof system was pivoted up to reach its final height of 16 feet, which creates a double-height space on the interior for a sleeping loft. Once the roof is raised, prefabricated wall panels were installed by hand on the interior.



The interior is clad in wood, with a lofted bed at the taller end of the unit.

One of the design team’s goals was to reduce the energy and resources not only during the construction of the ELM, but also its operation and entire life cycle. This was done by using renewable, biogenic materials and systems that used on-site water, air, energy, and waste management. The building also employs traditional methods to reduce solar heat gain and promote passive ventilation through its form and orientation; the careful orientation of PV and Integrated Concentrating Solar Facade systems also allow for maximum sun exposure.



At the top of the lofted area is a window opening to allow in natural light, and passive cooling and ventilation.

The ELM’s reduced carbon footprint and off-grid systems address a number of issues critical to global sustainable development goals: reduced energy needs limit the financial resources necessary to produce housing; renewable, bio-based materials preserve rural landscapes and finite resources; and if aggregated at a global scale, low-carbon residential development has the potential to dramatically reduce the effects of climate change.



Interior wall cladding was installed by hand after arrival on site.

The home boasts various systems, including a solar system that provides 100 percent of the building’s energy needs; a rainwater harvesting system that captures 80 percent of rainwater from the roof and filters it to be reused as potable water; a dehumidifier that recaptures water from the air during hot summer months; and a graywater system to irrigate food-producing plants on the building’s west facade.



The unit's architectural design optimizes passive systems to reduce the home’s operational energy demands for energy, heating, and cooling.

Originally completed in eight weeks for design, procurement, construction, transportation, and installation, the home was designed to showcase innovative solutions to for the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development. The team is now in discussions with the UN and Yale about future opportunities to reiterate or scale up the project.



The micro-farming wall was designed for nutrient-dense provisions, including fruits and vegetables.

Ultimately, the ELM’s off-grid systems and reduced carbon footprint during production and throughout its lifecycle have a real potential to address a number of housing and sustainability issues around the globe. If produced at a large scale, the team feels that the homes could be produced for under $50,000 per unit.



The building's clean energy is generated from combined PV solar panels and Integrated concentrated solar panels; together, they produce two kilowatts of clean, free, on-site energy, which is enough to make the house energy-efficient for four people.



Because the unit was temporary, it didn't follow the typical permitting process of a micro-unit or home in New York City; what's more, because it was installed on land owned by the United Nations, local and federal codes and permits did not apply.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Google Avoids Break-Up in U.S. Antitrust Case as Stocks Rise
Couple celebrates 80th wedding anniversary at assisted living facility in Lancaster
Information Warfare in the Age of AI: How Language Models Become Targets and Tools
The White House on LinkedIn Has Changed Their Profile Picture to Donald Trump
"Insulted the Prophet Muhammad": Woman Burned Alive by Angry Mob in Niger State, Nigeria
Trump Responds to Death Rumors – Announces 'Missile City'
Court of Appeal Allows Asylum Seekers to Remain at Essex Hotel Amid Local Tax Boycott Threats
Germany in Turmoil: Ukrainian Teenage Girl Pushed to Death by Illegal Iraqi Migrant
United Krack down on human rights: Graham Linehan Arrested at Heathrow Over Three X Posts, Hospitalised, Released on Bail with Posting Ban
Asian and Middle Eastern Investors Avoid US Markets
Ray Dalio Warns of US Shift to Autocracy
Eurozone Inflation Rises to 2.1% in August
Russia and China Sign New Gas Pipeline Deal
China's Robotics Industry Fuels Export Surge
Suntory Chairman Resigns After Police Probe
Gold Price Hits New All-Time Record
Von der Leyen's Plane Hit by Suspected Russian GPS Interference in an Incident Believed to Be Caused by Russia or by Pro-Peace or by Anti-Corruption European Activists
UK Fintechs Explore Buying US Banks
Greece Suspends 5% of Schools as Birth Rate Drops
Apollo to Launch $5 Billion Sports Investment Vehicle
Bolsonaro Trial Nears Close Amid US-Brazil Tension
European Banks Push for Lower Cross-Border Barriers
Poland's Offshore Wind Sector Attracts Investors
Nvidia Reveals: Two Mystery Customers Account for About 40% of Revenue
Woody Allen: "I Would Be Happy to Direct Trump Again in a Film"
Pickles are the latest craze among Generation Z in the United States.
Deadline Day Delivers Record £125m Isak Move and Donnarumma to City
Nestlé Removes CEO Laurent Freixe Following Undisclosed Relationship with Subordinate
Giuliani Seriously Injured in Accident – Trump to Award Him the Presidential Medal of Freedom
EU is getting aggressive: Four AfD Candidates Die Unexpectedly Ahead of North Rhine-Westphalia Local Elections
Lula and Putin Hold Strategic BRICS Discussions Ahead of Trump–Putin Summit
WhatsApp is rolling out a feature that looks a lot like Telegram.
Investigations Reveal Rise in ‘Sex-for-Rent’ Listings Across Canada Exploiting Vulnerable Tenants
Chinese and Indian Leaders Pursue Amity Amid Global Shifts
European Union Plans for Ukraine Deployment
ECB Warns Against Inflation Complacency
Concerns Over North Cyprus Casino Development
Shipping Companies Look Beyond Chinese Finance
Rural Exodus Fueling European Wildfires
China Hosts Major Security Meeting
Chinese Police Successfully Recover Family's Savings from Livestream Purchases
Germany Marks a Decade Since Migrant Wave with Divisions, Success Stories, and Political Shifts
Liverpool Defeat Arsenal 1–0 with Szoboszlai Free-Kick to Stay Top of Premier League
Prince Harry and King Charles to Meet in First Reunion After 20 Months
Chinese Stock Market Rally Fueled by Domestic Investors
Israeli Airstrike in Yemen Kills Houthi Prime Minister
Ukrainian Nationalist Politician Andriy Parubiy Assassinated in Lviv
Corporate America Cuts Middle Management as Bosses Take On Triple the Workload
Parents Sue OpenAI After Teen’s Death, Alleging ChatGPT Encouraged Suicide
Amazon Faces Lawsuit Over 'Buy' Label on Digital Streaming Content
×