Skip to main content

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

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.

Recommended Videos

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.

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.

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.

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.

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…
8 actors we would love to see in an all-star season of The White Lotus
With dozens of great actors to choose from, creator Mike White can form an incredible All-Star team
The cast of The White Lotus season 1

With The White Lotus season 3's explosive finale in the history books, we fans are already looking ahead at where the show's fourth season could take us. From potential actors who will embody the next set of spoiled characters to a large list of locations the series could travel to, the possibilities are endless for the HBO hit show. Creator Mike White hinted that there is a possibility that what comes next could be an ode to the past, though.

The White Lotus forming an all-star edition season would be an awesome way to say thank you to the fans who have watched all three seasons of the anthology so far. I thought it would be a lot of fun to brainstorm a roster of superstars that would set up a dynamic season in which we'd get some answers regarding our favorite characters while also seeing these people interact in a new vacation setting. I'm also not including anyone who already appeared in multiple seasons of the show; sorry to Greg, Belinda, and Tanya (RIP to our queen Jennifer Coolidge). These are the White Lotus all-stars we need in our lives.
Carrie Coon - Laurie Duffy

Read more
Reacher season 4: Everything we know so far
Jack Reacher's TV series will be back for a fourth time on Prime Video
Alan Ritchson in Reacher season 3

Reacher is one of Amazon Prime Video's best successes of the decade. Starring Alan Ritchson and based on the books by novelist Lee Child, the adaptation of the beloved action stories has been an affordable, simple, and effective adventure series that people have fallen in love with across the first three seasons. There was a lot of skepticism when the show was first greenlit, especially because the film version with Tom Cruise wasn't as good as fans expected. Instead, Ritchson and the creative team have fantastically absorbed all of the snappy writing from the books and added to it with their own unique flair.

With the third season of the show done airing, fans are looking forward to when the fourth season will come out. We have a bunch of shows like Reacher you can watch in the meantime, but sometimes that doesn't serve as an adequate substitute for the real thing. Fortunately, we have all the answers you need about Reacher season 4 right here.
What will Reacher season 4 be about?

Read more
Can cigars go bad? Here’s when to save them — and when to say goodbye
Think your cigars last forever? Think again
Dried, old cigar on table next to mushrooms

Let's discuss cigar disasters, shall we? Ever pulled a cigar from your humidor you’re saving for that special occasion, and lo and behold, it’s unsmokable due to a moldy overhang? Yikes! The classic question, ’ Can cigars go bad?’ is not just a casual question — it’s the stuff of nightmares for collectors who have spent serious coins on their premium smokes.

Truth bomb: yes, those leafy treasures can and do spoil — but it’s hardly an overnight catastrophe like leaving milk on the counter during a summer heat wave. That's way more nuanced than that!

Read more