Osprey Eco-Cottage from Nationwide Homes at 2010 Builders' Show

We were tipped by Apartment Therapy that the Osprey Eco-Cottage had been setup at the 2010 Builders' Show this week and that we made to check it.

"Sized at just 523 square feet, The Osprey was designed as a secondary or vacation home, complete with a bedroom, bathroom, sizable deck, galley-style kitchen, and full bathroom."

"This is an NAHB's National Green Building Gold certified structure which integrates energy saving measures such as Energy Star appliances, Low E SmartSun Glass windows, tankless water heaters, recycled wood, low or no VOC paints, formaldehyde free insulation and the option for Thin-Film Solar technology integrated into the the roofing panels for off the grid use."

It was cold and wet outside so that forced a lot of people into the home which at 523 sqft was small already but also gave us an opportunity to view the home in the real-world as if you were hosting a party of 30 people.

Surprisingly the Osprey held up. One of the greatest features was it's use of outdoor space as the decks provided a nice overflow from the front and back rooms. The side window near the front was large enough that people outside didn't feel cut-off from those inside.

The reverse arch on the interior ceiling was beautiful and reflected the "winged" overhang in the front and back of the house that we suspect helped in the naming of the house.

The kitchen was a straight galley kitchen and hearkened back to some of the NYC apartments we've seen although none were as well appointed as this kitchen was.

Such a small space has much lower energy demands which coupled with energy-star appliances will save the homeowner a lot of coin.

Here's a fun blog that shows the moving process getting the house transported from Martinsville, VA to Las Vegas, NV.