Cosmic Buildings’s $279K Tiny Home Recycles Water and Generates Its Own Solar Power

Prior to founding Cosmic Buildings, Sasha Jokic had spent 15 years honing his skills in construction robotics, architecture, and academia. "These experiences gave me the privilege of working on highly complex and influential architectural projects on a global scale, as well as developing pioneering products in automated construction," he says.

But these experiences also gave him insight into the entrenched challenges of home construction—namely how expensive, bureaucratic, and pollutive it can be. "Our only shot of meeting global and national net-zero goals is to decarbonize our homes, because the way we build and operate homes accounts for almost 42 percent of energy-related emissions," Jokic continues.

To try to combat these issues, he founded Cosmic Buildings in San Francisco to make prefabs that can generate at least as much energy as they use, while still adhering to a sense of style. Read on to learn how Jokic is trying to meet the moment with his company’s latest ADU, Cosmic One.

Tell us about the most exciting project you’ve realized to date.

For the last year and a half, we’ve been perfecting a new method of building and operating homes in an attempt to introduce the most sustainable ADU on the market. We’ve built a few large-scale prototypes for testing and improvement purposes, and gathered customer feedback during our product iterations, which has allowed us to improve every aspect of our houses.

The Cosmic One has various sustainable features (such as solar-battery systems, water recycling, and air ventilation), and its compact footprint feels large. We’ve applied a scientific approach to the building process that creates a synergy between VOC-free materials, space, typography, and technology. This provides our clients with a living experience that is meant to positively impact their well-being.

Furthermore, the ADU features warm, earthy tones and bright spaces for a natural feel. And a home app allows clients to see a clear picture of the energy they consume, the water they use, and the waste they generate.

What does your base model cost and what does that pricing include? 

The Cosmic One comes in three different versions—a studio, one bedroom, and two bedroom—and ranges between $279,000 and $419,000, before taxes or rebates. Each unit is crafted with VOC-free, low-maintenance, and responsibly sourced materials that are produced with digital fabrication techniques to minimize waste during manufacturing and assembly.