Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Culture

Could You Live in a 320-Square-Foot ADU? Plús Hús Thinks So

By
Image used with permission by copyright holder

We’ve mentioned before that there is a major housing crisis in cities throughout the world. This is forcing people to get creative with unique solutions, turning everything from viaducts to shipping containers into dwellings. Few cities are in as dire straits as Los Angeles. Luckily new regulations passed in 2016 have loosened up the rules regarding accessory dwelling units (or ADUs). This means we’re about to see micro houses popping up in backyards across the city. One company is at the head of the pack, having created a structure that is economical, environmentally friendly, and full of minimalist style that will have many excited to move right in.

Santa Monica-based company Minarc is the creator of the Plús Hús – a 320 square foot accessory dwelling unit (or microhouse). The structures meet the new ADU guidelines recently implemented in L.A. At a starting price of $37,000 for the basic model, the Plús Hús is an affordable way for residents to add a rental unit in their backyard, adding new options to the housing-strapped city.

1 of 6
plus hus adu los angeles 4
Guest house set-up. Image used with permission by copyright holder
plus hus adu los angeles 3
Guest house set-up. Image used with permission by copyright holder
plus hus adu los angeles 10
Guest house set-up. Image used with permission by copyright holder
plus hus adu los angeles 2
Guest house set-up. Image used with permission by copyright holder
plus hus adu los angeles 6
Office space set-up. Image used with permission by copyright holder
plus hus adu los angeles 5
Office space set-up. Image used with permission by copyright holder

The husband-and-wife team behind Minarc hail from Iceland, land of simple designs that create a strong connection with nature. This is seen in their design for Plús Hús. The structure is built using their innovative mmmMod panels. The mmmMod system is used in modular building and was the perfect choice for the prefab Plús Hús. Made from recycled materials, the panels are termite-proof and fire-proof, recyclable, and super insulating, which ensures the units stay a comfortable temperature all year long.

Recommended Videos

Getting the Plús Hús installed is easy thanks to Minarc’s simple delivery system. Those in the Los Angeles area can tour a sample Plús Hús prior to placing an order. Once the order is placed, the home is built and shipped to the site. All that’s needed is a simple slab foundation or support piles.

Related

And, though they are focusing on L.A. and the surrounding cities, Minarc can ship the prefab structures anywhere in the country.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Along with being affordable, eco-friendly, and easy to install, the Plús Hús units are stylish and inspired by the natural and simplistic Icelandic design aesthetic. Plús Hús structures are fully customizable with a range of finish options, but all feature two windows at the back and a sliding glass door at the front. The front wall is also pushed back, creating space for a small outdoor patio. They offer three basic shells to choose from. “Open” is a blank slate, allowing you to customize it how you wish. “Open+” has the addition of a small bathroom that includes toilet, sink, and shower and “Full” gets you the bathroom plus a kitchenette with cabinets, sink, mini-fridge, and a cooktop.

Thinking Plús Hús is the right tiny house for you? You can place your order with Minarc and they will guide you through every step of the process from permitting to selecting finishes. The whole process takes six to eight months and you’ll have a ready-to-rent unit right in your backyard.

Editors' Recommendations

Kelsey Machado
Kelsey Machado
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Kelsey is a professional interior designer with over a decade of experience in the design field. With a passion for…
Where do cigars come from? A guide to the premium tobacco growing regions
man smoking small cigar by engin-akyurt unsplash

Cigars are composed of various tobacco leaves, including fillers, a binder, and a wrapper on the outside. The tobacco that makes up those leaves is grown in a variety of regions worldwide and undergoes several processes to create the flavor and blend that is eventually rolled into a premium cigar. While many factors influence the result, mainly how the tobacco tastes when it's smoked, none are more important than its cultivation, growth, and harvest. Tobacco grown in Nicaragua will taste very different from tobacco grown in Cuba or even Indonesia. It has to do with the local climate, the soil and its contents, average sun exposure, and much more. But most cigars include a blend or mixture of tobacco leaves, sometimes from entirely different regions, like Nicaraguan fillers and an African Cameroon wrapper. So, when posing the question, "Where do cigars come from," it makes more sense to look at the regions where tobacco is grown.
The Big Five

Not all tobacco comes from the Big Five regions; however, a large majority of the tobacco leaves produced and sold, even to partners in the business, come from fairly localized tobacco growers in the following locations:
Cuba
Everyone has heard of Cuban cigars, Cuban tobacco, and the forbidden fruit, at least in the United States. Ever since the U.S. government activated an embargo against Cuban goods back in 1962, Cuban tobacco cannot be imported or sold in the country. Of course, that doesn't change the fact that Cuba is the birthplace of modern cigars and has inspired many of today's biggest tobacco producers in the world.

Read more
The best shows on Netflix to stream in May
Binge-worthy Netflix series you don't want to miss
Bojack Horseman and Princess Caroline

TV may not be peaking quite the way it was a few years back, but there are still more than enough shows out there to keep you busy. After Netflix emerged on the scene and revolutionized how we all watched TV, it was joined by a huge swath of competitors determined to take advantage of the streaming boom. All of those competitors have great stuff to watch, but Netflix is still many people's hub for all things TV. Even within the streamer, though, it can be difficult to figure out what the best shows on Netflix are.

Thankfully, that's where this list comes in. We've compiled a rundown of what to watch on Netflix, and these Netflix shows should add up to days and days of endless binging. You can also check out our list of the best Hulu series, best Amazon Prime series, best Disney Plus series, and best Netflix movies after you've made it through the series listed below.

Read more
The best movies on Hulu to watch in May
Hulu is the place to watch movies across a wide array of genres
Movie on a person's phone

There's a lot of competition out there in the streaming world, and it can be hard to shuffle through the services to find the best movies to stream right now. Though there are plenty of great movies on Netflix and Amazon still has the platform beat in terms of overall quality, many of the movies on Hulu can't be streamed anywhere else. The best movies on Hulu can be gritty, family-friendly, and even sci-fi-oriented. So if you're looking to expand your binge-watching horizons, we've found the best movies to watch on Hulu right now.

White Men Can't Jump (2023)

Read more