Take a whirl: Portland's famous rotating tiny house is for rent

Maybe you've checked into a tiny house before, but have you ever stayed in a mini modern dwelling that rotates so you can chase the sun or change your view?

Ethan Caughey and Becca Kennedy installed a revolutionary, rentable tiny house in North Portland's Boise neighborhood.

On one end of their property is the original 1905 Craftsman they restored as their family home. In the middle is a landscaped seating area with a fire pit. And tucked into a corner near the street is the cool, spinnable studio.

Portland architect Ben Kaiser sells plans to the tiny, twirling house he designed. Or you can test out the idea at $96 a night.

--Janet Eastman | 503-294-4072

jeastman@oregonian.com | @janeteastman

Path Architecture

Kaiser turned convention on its head by taking a 12-foot-square footprint, blowing it up two stories, and putting a glass wall in the front and solid walls in the back.

He then cleverly placed the whole structure on top of a series of wheels connected to a steel bezel that rotates like a giant turntable.

Insert a steel lever into the platform's socket under the porch to turn it on its axis.

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Caughey and Kennedy swing the tiny house's open glass front wall and porch toward their backyard fire pit when friends and family come to stay. It becomes an extension of their outdoor living area.

When Airbnb guests check in, the front can be turned away, facing trees or fencing, for privacy.

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The Portland tiny house can't quite make a full circle since water and electrical connections would get twisted. Kaiser calls his turning tower "359," that is, one degree short of a complete 360.

This is Kaiser's smallest project. The architect founded the Kaiser Group, which specializes in commercial and residential renovations and new construction, and the conceptual design firm Path Architecture.

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[Two solid walls provided privacy, inside and out.]

Guests of the tiny house have come from all corners of the country and most are couples on vacation, says Kennedy.

"It’s really a couple’s paradise," she says. "It’s a clean, simple space in a quiet garden perfect for a weekend getaway. It’s secluded yet just a few blocks to the businesses on Mississippi and Williams as well as close to downtown."

Guests have stayed as long as a month or even longer, she adds.

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The tiny home's 215 square feet of interior space includes a space-efficient living area, kitchen and full bathroom on the main floor. Climb up stairs to reach the loft.

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Beside the novelty of a rotating tiny house, Kaiser, a sustainable-minded designer and developer, says adjusting for sun or shade reduces heating and cooling costs. Cross-ventilation windows and an efficient 110v Cadet heater also help control the indoor temperature.

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WATCH: 359 is a tiny house in the Boise neighborhood of Portland, Oregon designed by Path Architecture with Kaiser Group as the general contractor.

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Janet Eastman | The Oregonian/OregonLive

[Architect Ben Kaiser stands at the entrance of the two-story structure he designed. Stairs are steep to preserve floor space.]

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[The front door opens to steps that lead to the loft.]

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[The 215-square-foot tiny structure has an efficient kitchen against one wall.]

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[The bathroom pocket door is to the right of the kitchen. There is only one sink, and it's in the kitchen.]

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[Kitchen cabinets solve the storage issue. There is no washer and dryer but the Spin Laundry Lounge is only a few blocks away and adds to the Portland experience, says Kennedy.]

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[The shower takes up about a quarter of the bathroom's floor space.

There is running water and flushing toilets. Kaiser's original plan was for off-the-grid living with solar power and a water-less, composting toilet.]

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[Windows are well placed to allow for cross ventilation.]

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Janet Eastman | The Oregonian/OregonLive

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[The storage loft takes advantage of the two-story-high wall of windows.]

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[The Portland tiny house can't quite make a full circle since water and electrical connections would get twisted. Kaiser calls his turning tower "359," that is, one degree short of a complete 360.

Portland architect Ben Kaiser installed a glass wall in the front.]

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[In this construction photo, a worker stands near the steel bezel that, when a series of wheels are attached, rotates the structure like a giant turntable.]

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[A wooden porch with a rail fronts the tiny house. Incorporated into the wood siding is the lever to rotate the tiny house.]

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[The steel lever used to rotate the house is hung on a peg on the wood siding.]

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[A steel lever goes into the platform's socket under the porch to turn it on its axis.]

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[Easy, even for kids: Just insert a steel lever into the platform's socket under the porch to turn it on its axis.]

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[The structure sits on top of a series of wheels connected to a steel bezel that rotates like a giant turntable.]

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Janet Eastman | The Oregonian/OregonLive

[Property owners Ethan Caughey and Becca Kennedy can turn the tiny house's front porch to face their backyard. Or not.]

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[Relax over a cup of tea in the backyard studio. ]

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Janet Eastman | The Oregonian/OregonLive

[It doesn't cost much to outfit a tiny house in luxury finishes, like these glass shower tiles.]

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