When innovative engineering, environmental responsibility and uncompromising quality standards come together, the result is solutions that set new standards: the collaboration between TechTinyHouse and Swisspacer is an exemplary project that shows how well-thought-out product selection and technical precision can lead to real added value for customers – thanks to Swisspacer Air, even in places where extreme conditions prevail.
TechTinyHouse was founded in 2015 by Brendan Thome and his wife – out of a desire to develop a tiny house that is not only mobile but also meets the technical, structural and energy standards of a fully-fledged building. What began as a personal construction project quickly evolved into a pioneering company: at a time when there were hardly any suppliers on the market, TechTinyHouse pursued an approach that consistently rethought mobile architecture. "To this day, most tiny houses are built more like caravans than buildings in terms of quality. Even back then, our aim was to do things differently," explains Brendan Thome, CEO of TechTinyHouse.
TechTinyHouse's tiny houses are used in a wide variety of contexts: public clients use them as showrooms, presentation rooms or temporary meeting places, for example at universities. Commercial customers use them for rentals, trade fair appearances or mobile brand worlds. Private builders use them as fully-fledged living space.
A key unique selling point is the diagonal support structure, which does not require any traditional wall constructions. This innovative design not only allows for exceptional stability with minimal weight, but also generous glass surfaces that would be virtually impossible to achieve in conventional tiny houses. In theory, entire houses could be completely glazed – without any structural disadvantages.
Instead of standardised solutions, TechTinyHouse relies on in-house designs, high vertical integration and maximum control over all trades – from the supporting structure and shell to the building envelope, electrical installations, plumbing and smart home solutions.
Thome explains: "The high level of vertical integration – we do everything ourselves except welding – enables us to consistently control quality, sustainability and technical precision ourselves. When we have everything in our own hands, we can specifically use the best products – without compromises and without coordination loops." TechTinyHouse follows a clear principle when selecting all components: every detail must be technically and functionally convincing. This applies in particular to the glazing, which is subject to particular stresses due to its mobile use.
Swisspacer warm edge spacer bars are therefore used to ensure optimum thermal performance, high durability and excellent energy efficiency. Depending on whether weight reduction, thermal insulation or colour neutrality are the main priorities, a wide variety of glass structures and coatings are used for different projects. In the future, TechTinyHouse even plans to take over the window construction itself and source the insulating glass units from the Saint-Gobain Glassolutions Insulating Glass Centre in Augustdorf – exclusively with Swisspacer components.
But it is not only Swisspacer spacer bars that are the best choice for CEO Brendan Thome: "Swisspacer Air has also completely won us over: we have customers who drive our tiny houses to the sea in summer and to the mountains in winter. Transporting them across different altitudes naturally poses a risk in terms of pressure equalisation. With Swisspacer Air, we have now found a way to take our quality promise to our customers to an entirely new level," Thome continues.
The innovative valve ensures pressure equalisation in the cavity between the panes – especially in mobile buildings that are frequently relocated, where pressure differences typically occur more often. A concrete example is a project for a customer who implements holiday and hotel concepts at over 50 locations across Europe. The tiny houses are moved seasonally between different climate zones and altitudes – from coastal regions to mountain passes to ferry transfers. Swisspacer Air ensures that pressure differences are reliably compensated, tension in the insulating glass unit is avoided and the visual and functional quality of the glazing is permanently maintained.
For TechTinyHouse, Swisspacer Air has long been more than just an optional add-on solution. In future, the system will be used as standard in all projects as a preventive quality component – even if the customer does not explicitly request it.
In addition to high standards of functionality and quality, the two companies also share a sustainable mindset that is deeply rooted in their corporate values. For both Swisspacer and TechTinyHouse, sustainability is not a marketing argument, but a constructive principle. "For us, technical does not mean artificial," emphasises Thome. "Our wall construction consists mainly of cork, a renewable, compostable natural material that has also been tested by the Fraunhofer Institute for its specific application in terms of building physics. This is complemented using other natural materials and durable components such as wood, linoleum and wool felt. The company's mission remains clearly defined to this day: to consistently combine technology and nature."
At Swisspacer, this includes a holistic view of sustainable construction: energy efficiency, use of materials, performance and quality contribute to a long service life. One example is Swisspacer Ultimate | Nyxé – a variant with recycled content that combines design and performance. "If buildings are to become more climate-friendly, the carbon footprint of each element counts – especially for components that remain in use for decades," says Matthias Bach, CEO of Swisspacer.
The collaboration between TechTinyHouse and Swisspacer impressively demonstrates how important shared values are for long-term project success: both companies are united by engineering thinking, quality awareness, ecological responsibility and the will to redefine established standards.
For more information visit swisspacer.com
