Secluded lakefront pods nestled among oaks and fruit trees. Solar-powered, fully connected to nature.
Our vision is to create a growing network of secluded, contemporary, off-grid pods tucked away in areas of outstanding natural beauty. Our first property, the Butterfly Pods, are nestled among fruit trees and tall oaks — built to top-tier energy-efficient Passiv Haus standards, offering all the comforts of home while letting you truly unplug.
The property comfortably sleeps 8 adults and 1 child between four bedrooms. The two pods are rented together as one private booking. The main pod has two bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms. The Annex pod includes two queen bedrooms, each with a compact en-suite.
Imagine sipping your morning coffee in bed, gazing through towering 10-ft high custom quadrilateral windows, where nature surrounds you and deer gently wander by. Five-star hotel-quality Helix mattresses and luxurious linens make every moment feel like a retreat.
The main cabin features an open-concept kitchen and dining area, highlighted by slanted ceilings and views of the surrounding forest and lake. The contemporary kitchen is fully equipped with high-end appliances, cookware, dishes, and utensils.
The granite island seats four, and the tulip dining table offers seating for four more — making it easy to host group meals in comfort and style.
Wrap-around decks on both cabins provide multiple spots to enjoy the view. Lounge in built-in hammocks, sip coffee, or enjoy a drink at sunset. Unwind in the heated seasonal pool or soak in the wood-fired hot tub under the stars.
A dedicated wood store keeps a steady supply of seasoned firewood on hand year-round, fueling both the outdoor fire pit and the wood-fired hot tub — so a crackling fire or a hot soak under the stars is never more than a few steps away.
The private fishing dock is perfect for casting a line or simply enjoying the serene lake view. Take out one of the kayaks or the paddleboard and float through calm waters surrounded by trees and birdsong.
We monitor systems remotely so everything runs smoothly. If anything needs attention, we'll likely catch it before you even notice. Two cellphone numbers always available.
12kW total PV array(s) with 700Ah 48V (36kWh) LiFePo battery. Backup 6kW propane generator ensures power in any weather.
Rainwater and lake water captured, filtered, and treated via 6-stage filtration including UV treatment for safe drinking water. 800-gallon storage.
Mini-split system provides heating and cooling year-round. Energy Recovery Ventilators in both buildings. Indoor wood-burning fireplace for cozy evenings, with backup convection heaters.
Fully off-grid. Fully comfortable. We monitor all systems remotely so everything runs smoothly. Keep tabs on the Guest Energy Dashboard to track your consumption. If anything needs attention, we'll likely catch it before you even notice. Two cellphone numbers always available.
Airtight "perfect wall" construction with continuous exterior insulation, triple-glazed windows, and a rainscreen cedar cladding system.
PodHopping is the vision of Hein & Michelle le Roux. As passionate advocates for sustainability, they purchased a 5-acre property one hour south of Kansas City and began dreaming of plans to create a contemporary off-grid retreat. Over two years, they brought this vision to reality, launching the Butterfly Pods in summer of 2024.
Long term, the goal is to create a network of pods, providing opportunities for people to experience and adopt an environmentally conscious lifestyle. The pods will be situated in unique locations that have excellent proximity to areas of outstanding natural beauty. The siting of the pods encourages "podhoppers" to visit a particular area and stay in multiple pods, maximizing their experience and their exposure to the local attractions.
One of our goals is to seek locations and tourist routes that include small businesses that truly embrace aspects of sustainability and environmental stewardship. The inherent concept is about connecting people back to nature and local community while endorsing wellness and healthy living.
POD is an acronym for Passive Ordinary Dwelling. Built to Passivhaus standards, using ordinary materials — the dwellings are robust at their core, but also renewable and recyclable in their skin. They have a low embodied carbon content with maximum use of timber allowing them to be highly durable over time.
The pod has a conventional timber frame construction. The frame is sheathed and covered with an impermeable membrane, which is then covered with exterior continuous insulation. This approach is known as the "perfect wall" and mitigates thermal bridging, ensuring an airtight structure — the foundation of a passive house. The insulation is covered with UV resistant membrane and furred out to receive the cedar rain-screen cladding and air gap. Concealed gutters harvest rainwater through the rain-screen.
The foundation design utilizes a steel helical screw pile system, with minimal impact on the underlying ground. This system allows the pod to be moved and mitigates the requirement for concrete and/or complex waterproofing membranes. The roof is profiled metal sheeting with an air gap on insulation. All exterior windows and doors are triple glazed systems in high performing fiberglass and aluminum frames.
The Butterfly Pods utilize a ground mount PV array (5.2kW + 3kW expansion on greenhouse). We've since added roughly 5kW more via a carport-mounted solar array, bringing total on-site solar capacity to around 14kW. A utility building underneath the array houses an off-grid hybrid inverter and 300Ah 48V LiFePo battery. This setup provides standard 120/240V electricity to the buildings. A backup 6kW propane generator ensures that the batteries can be charged when poor weather conditions prevent electricity production from the PV panels. A smaller 300W array with battery storage provides redundant power for water pumps.
The pods capture rainwater and surface water which is treated and used for drinking and washing. The Butterfly Pods have 800 gallons of storage capacity. A sequence of filtration, reverse osmosis and UV treatment ensures safe drinking water. Depending on local building code, the pods can be equipped with flush toilets connected to public sewers or septic tanks. Some sites like the Butterfly Pods will have standalone lateral fields for sewage processing. Also, where necessary, composting toilets could be used.
Like the Butterfly Pods, other sites will also be fitted out with internet enabling Smart monitoring systems to be installed. With the use of Smart platforms like Home Assistant, all MEP systems can be monitored remotely and on site from tablets or smart phones.