Timon Phillips We are aiming for the possibility of changing the future of housing. roomis a 9 x 9 foot modern freestanding residence designed as a portable modular kit that can be expanded over time.
The architectural designer describes Rööm as an escape from his previous work.
“I woke up one night and thought, ‘What just happened?'” says Phillips. “I’m working on this really mundane thing that I wasn’t passionate about at all. And I wanted to come back. I wanted to feel happy and joyful again in what I was doing.” It was.”
Through a Philips design and construction company Hut Co., Ltd.Rööm combines Japanese wood frame design with Scandinavian and Finnish design principles.
To transform Rööm from a computer-generated rendering into an actual modern residence, Phillips turned to Craigslist to find someone willing to support his dream. That person eventually became Nick Miller, an Army veteran who was looking for an outdoor office for his wife. Miller said he looked at brands such as Tuff Shed and other similar models, but nothing matched the quality of Phillips’ work.
“Timon processes the wood himself. He does it all himself. “And one more thing, he completes it. I mean, when you get the Tuff Shed, none of the internals are finished. It’s just framing, right? It’s all there.”
Not only is every Rööm handcrafted by Phillips down to the drywall, but the entire structure is made from sustainable materials. The wood is sourced from Northern California sawmills and salvage cane logs from wildfire areas before they start to rot. Unlike traditional insulation such as fiberglass or foam, Philips uses hemp and wood fibers to keep each room cozy and comfortable.
“I am very conscious about sustainability and a healthy planet, so I use no foam, no plastic, nothing that is harmful to the environment, no old things that essentially break down into nothing. I wanted to use materials.
What Philips can’t do on its own is outsourced to local companies. He works with Morro Bay electricians, Atascadero-based metalworkers, local window suppliers, and sources steel from Santa Maria.
“We try to stay as far away from the corporate world as possible,” Phillips said. [small]We work with small businesses, innovative companies, and companies with a sustainable mindset like ours. ”
Once Phillips manufactures all the parts in its SLO-based factory, the Rööm is ready to be transported and assembled on site. Construction on the Millers mansion in Paso Robles began in August 2022, and it took Phillips four months to put it all together. Ideally, Rööm says he will be ready within three weeks, but problems with his chain of supply have delayed construction on the Millers property.
“Like the Paso units, the units we build have lights and outlets,” Phillips said. “Plumbing and kitchenettes – these will be available soon at ADU.”
The nice thing about Rööm is that you don’t need a permit to build the introductory 9 x 9 model on site. ADUs (attached housing) less than 750 square feet do not require a permit in California. However, if the owner is looking to expand her Rööm or hook it up to utility services, Phillips will get a head start by working on the base model while waiting for city or county approval. can do.
“It’s a building based on a system, and the system can adapt to how you want to design it and how it knows what terrain it’s going to be. It’s also extensible. So you can play with it. You can,” said Phillips.
It’s been almost a month since Phillips finished building Millers’ Rööm, and they couldn’t be happier.
“It went better than we expected. My wife was very happy throughout the whole process and now that she’s there she’s amazing wonderful I’m happy,” said Miller.
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Please contact Staff Writer Shwetha Sundarrajan at shwetha@newtimesslo.com.
