Tucked away on UBC Vancouver’s Totem Field, a group of students are building a house—a tiny one. But turning that idea into reality takes support. Gifts to the UBC Sustaingineering Fund help provide the materials, tools and mentorship that keep the project moving.

The Sustainable Mobile Research Testbed (SMRT) is an 8-by-22-foot tiny home designed as a “living lab.” It gives students a way to test ideas that address real-world challenges, including affordable housing, clean energy and access to safe drinking water. The project is supported by engineers and industry professionals from the community and is designed to be low-cost, mobile and adaptable—so communities can build and modify it themselves.

Unlike a typical class project, SMRT is built by 40 to 60 students who give up their weekends to make it happen. They source materials, cut wood and assemble the structure together.

“We want students to gain hands-on experience they might not get in the classroom,” says team co-captain Isabella Ma.

The house uses a simple wood-frame design, but what’s inside is more complex. Different student sub-teams are responsible for designing and building each component.

One team is developing a hybrid renewable energy system that combines solar and wind power to generate electricity off the grid. Their goal is to show how small, flexible systems can power homes in a wide range of environments.

At the same time, other teams focus on electrical and mechanical work. In collaboration with Electrical Workers Without Borders North America, they map out wiring, estimate materials and design small wind turbines and other components.

Water is another key focus. With past partnerships with Builders Without Borders and the RESEAU Centre for Mobilizing Innovation, students are creating a rainwater collection system. They are studying how to filter and store water safely and plan to test their designs this year.

Because the house is also a research tool, it will collect data. Sensors will track things like temperature, humidity, wind speed, solar energy and water levels. This data will be shared through a web app so students can see how their systems perform in real conditions and refine them over time. In this way, SMRT functions not just as a build, but as a platform for ongoing experimentation.

For co-captain Veronica Ehrensperger, the project feels like solving a puzzle. “It’s just great to work together,” she says.

The team has faced its share of challenges, from construction delays to clearing invasive blackberry bushes at a previous site.

“There are always problems,” Isabella says, “but we always figure something out.”

Once the house is complete, it won’t stay on campus. The team plans to release a free, open-source guide so others can build their own version. They hope to see similar homes in rural BC and beyond, showing that strong, sustainable housing can also be affordable.

This work reflects UBC’s “living lab” approach, where students and communities test solutions in real-world settings.

Ongoing support through the UBC Sustaingineering Fund helps students keep building, testing and improving projects like SMRT—while preparing the next generation of engineers to create a more sustainable future.