A Dutch design firm has redefined living by creating a tiny house that doesn’t need a foundation, can be built in one day and is three times more sustainable than a normal house. The Wikkelhouse, designed by Fiction Factory in Amsterdam, is built by snapping multiple 1.2 meter (4 feet) wide sections together. Each section is made by wrapping a basic house shape with curved edges in 24 layers of cardboard that are glued together. The sections are then finished with waterproof, breathable foil and covered with a layer of wood paneling for extra protection. Wikkelhouse is a cutting-edge  sustainable house Using cardboard as its main building material, Wikkelhouse is a cutting-edge sustainable house with a beautiful design and exceptional constructive strength, the website explains. With the flexible construction process, a house can range from the standard order of three sections to as many as desired. Each section of the Wikkelhouse only weighs 500 kilos (1,100 pounds). It can be taken apart and moved easily when you want to relocate or remodel. You can place the house on the beach, in your backyard or even on top of a building, Fiction Factory boasts. Despite being lightweight, the Wikkelhouse is durable and has a minimum life span of 50 years. The wood outer layer is designed to protect the house from all types of weather elements and events . The cardboard layers also provide maximum insulation, cutting down on energy costs for the owner. The Wikkelhouse is designed to accommodate a kitchen, bathroom and bedrooms, making it fully functional. Customers can pick the inside wall and floor design as well as glazed or opaque facades. Fiction Factory only produces 12 homes a year to maintain optimum quality control, each selling for 25.000,00 Euros or around $28.000,00. There is a waiting list for orders. {youtube} https://www.whatsorb.com/solution/tiny-houses/tinyhouses

Dutch architectural firm +31Architects has designed a series of solar-powered houseboats, with plans to complete the first prototypes by the end of the year in partnership with German manufacturer WSM Die Wohnschiff-Manufaktur. Dubbed Naturecruiser and Waterloft, these innovative motorized floating homes are designed as fully equipped houseboats but with the added benefit of being able to cruise the surrounding lakes or rivers. Innovative  solar powered floating home According to +31Architects there is a growing market for this type of motorized floating home, which allows its habitants to enjoy the joys of sailing the waters without leaving their living room. The Naturecruiser and Waterloft can therefore be moored at a fixed berth, or the trusses can easily be unloaded, allowing the vessels to travel to nearby ports, marinas or larger lakes. "It all started with a dream to live on the water and at the same time have the opportunity to move at any moment to discover new places," Jorrit Houwert, architect at +31Architects tells New Atlas. "We wanted to create a modern houseboat that is at the same time a ship that distinguished itself by its natural appearance. We are proud that were able to create a slender monolithic shape, where the hull seamlessly changes into the roof, combined with its big windows and the natural wooden look!" Stepping away from traditional bulky houseboat designs, the Naturecruiser and Waterloft have adopted similar design features from larger luxury ships. Both concepts include a streamlined facade with rounded curves, wooden carpentry throughout and an aluminum hull to protect and preserve the vessel over time. Solar panels and solar collectors will be fitted on the roofs of the homes, which according to the designers can generate enough energy and warm water to render the houseboats fully self-sufficient when moored. The houseboat with hybrid electric- and hydrogen engine Photo by: + 31Architects The houseboats will be initially equipped with a hybrid electric engine, with plans to include a  hydrogen engine in future models. The onboard water and sewerage system takes water from the lake or river and is then filtered onboard with a purification system. "Our models for motorized houseboats are fully equipped within the available customizable length, including a hybrid electric propulsion, solar-panels, battery-pack, a pellet-powered underfloor heating system and ecological water treatment. Our goal is to also use as much as possible low impact (biological isolation) materials," says Houwert"Including solid wood and no EPS/XPS or mineral wools," adds Marcel Neugebauer, founder and CEO at WSM Die Wohnschiff-Manufaktur. Floating houses floorplan The 15-meter (49-ft) Naturecruiser features a compact floor plan and can host up to eight guests when cruising or 16 guests when moored. The 24-m (79-ft) Waterloft boasts a generous floorplan and includes clever storage space under the deck. Waterloft can host 25 guests when cruising or 50 guests when moored. The single–level motorized houseboats have a comfortable interior living space ranging between 50 sq m (538 sq ft) and 125 sq m (1,345 sq ft). Depending on the length of the model, the houseboats come with either two or three bedrooms; an open living room and kitchen; bathroom complete with sauna, shower and separate toilet; large roof and deck terraces; and all furnishings and equipment to live year-round on the boat. The floorplans and design of both homes feature large floor-to-ceiling windows throughout, allowing an abundance of natural light to filter through the home during the day. Guests can enjoy outward water views from almost every room on board or relax outdoors on the sunny roof terrace, semi-shaded front deck or small terrace located on the back deck. Photo by: + 31Architects Floating houses sales price "We believe that living on water could be a next step to combine areas which are under pressure from flooding into retention areas by managing it into liveable living areas without leaving a scar on the natural environment," says Houwert. "We have plans for more next-level designs, coming up with ways to live a sustainable life on water in an ecological way. Stay tuned!" Starting prices for the Naturecruiser and Waterloft are €535,000 (US$602,663) and €899,000 (US$1,012,700), respectively, and both versions can be modified to suit specific customer requests. There are also plans for a fixed mooring luxury version called Watervilla, which would be a 205-sq m (2,206-sq ft) floating home priced from €899,000 (US$1,012,700). WSM Die Wohnschiff-Manufaktur will build the first prototypes of the Naturecrusiser and Waterloft in Germany, with completion anticipated for the end of 2019. Sources:  +31Architects ,  WSM Die Wohnschiff-Manufaktur  via  Designboom https://www.whatsorb.com/category/tiny-houses https://www.whatsorb.com/category/architecture

Founder, architect and designer Joshua Woodsman, founder, architect and designer of the Pin-Up Houses, had the dream to build his own house. He believes every man shares this dream and wants to build his own home. Woodsman’s little house, a kind of cabin, is the place that meets all your dreams and wishes. His focus is on style, but at the same time, he also shows the functionality of the cabin. Woodsman shows that his cabin is really different from the rest. He illustrates this with his design down to the last detail. What is a Pin-Up House? A Pin-Up House is similar to a Tiny House, yet easier to build and with attractive designs. They are typically small houses, built with sheer simplicity. These compact tiny houses offer a cosy environment, creating an intimacy that you will miss in a large house. These Pin-Up Houses are perfect for people looking for a smart, flexible, cost-effective and energy saving home. Small houses are less expensive and easier to build, heat, cool, clean and maintain. The Pin-Up Houses are easy to build because they have easy-to-follow-plans. The plans outline the whole process in detail. You can use a Pin-Up House as holiday accommodation, an office, a guesthouse or whatever you like. Why live in a Tiny House or Pin-Up House? Living in a Tiny House or Pin-Up House is different than living in a normal home. It is an alternative way of living where people design and build compact, intelligent and mobile homes. Living in a Tiny House goes hand in hand with creativity and freedom. It offers a whole new lifestyle: You will get more space! More space in your wallet, to do stuff and to be less chaotic. Because the space is not that big, it will be easy to maintain and clean the space. A clean home means a happy mind. In addition, because you live smaller, you simply live cheaper, more economical and more consciously. And the best thing is that you can live wherever you like! You can take your home everywhere. Living on the road in your own home? Yes! This house, built on a flat trailer, can be driven on the road. The Magenta Tiny House The Magenta Pin-Up House is built by Joshua Woodsman. The pink Magenta is proof of temporary independent housing, without the debts and loans of a ‘normal’ house. The Magenta is built on a flat trailer, it has a heat insulated wooden structure on all sides of the cabin. This sounds both nice and cosy in summer- and wintertime. Because of the large window, you will easily get enough sunlight into the living space. The Magenta is made of lightweight materials, spruce beams and waterproof plywood, so it is transportable. The flat trailer can be used as a porch, where you can drink your morning coffee or read the newspaper. The interior The pink Magenta has a built-in kitchenette, a sofa, heating stoves, and a chemical toilet. Do you ever wonder how all of this fits in a small cabin? this all fits in these cabins? The Pin-Up Houses make convenient use of storage space. They created space to use built-in furniture in the cabin to store things in there. Stretched nets hang from the ceiling, so you can hang or place things in them that you do not use every day. Better for you and the earth? There are a few things a Pin-Up House offers which a normal house does not offer. For example, if you live in a small home wherever you like, you can opt for nature. You feel more connected with nature because you are more surrounded by it. The house has not a great impact on the earth, because you will consume less. It is all about to settle for less, what really matters. We live in a consuming society: everything has to be expensive and big, labelled with a brand. But if you think about what is really important, that you can live with less, you will get a different view on life. You can live in a sustainable way and thus contribute to a better world. https://www.whatsorb.com/category/tiny-houses

The other week, a new Australian project caught our attention. A self-proclaimed feminist architecture studio called Whispering Smith came up with the very first prototype of their brainchild. This House A, as the first of its kind is lovingly called, is built as a hybrid between an apartment and a house. With its 753 square feet, it is definitely making the most of the land on which it is situated. Increasing popularity of small and  tiny houses It is only the latest fad on a wave of small and tiny house projects. The obsession with creating small(er) living spaces has swept the globe, with people from Austria to Australia coming up with innovative, cutting-edge designs for their own version of a small home. Not only are they much more sustainable and cost-effective, they also have significantly lower heating and water bills. Another argument for downsizing could be that it forces people to cut back on its possessions and only keep those items that they really need - which should, according to popular theories, allow them to live happier and fuller lives as there is less clutter in their lives holding them down. Apartment-house made of recycled materials As for House A, which was built to accommodate the directors of the architecture studio developing it, a focus on recycling seemed to be the main focus. Its small size is optimised for building on small lots, while using various recycled materials to constructing the house - including whitewashed brick, timber, cabinetry and 65-percent-recycled-slag and concrete tilt-up panels.   A location near Perth, Australia was carefully chosen for this project. The house was built in a neighbourhood that is known for its dedication to sustainability: House A was the first of three carbon-neutral residences that were to be built here. And even though it only measures 70 square meters, it feels remarkably comfortable: its three compact levels include a full-sized garage underground and two living floors.   Simple and basic interior Even the interior fits the mentality of scaling down and recycling. Its palette is monochromatic and industrious in its execution, meaning that small flaws and imperfections are still visible rather than hidden away. At the same time, the building is constructed in an open space kind of setting, with minimal use of walls and doors to separate spaces.   This gives the interior an effortless flow, in which spaces blend together effortlessly. This includes the outdoor space, which can easily be added to the house through moveable walls and sliding doors. Perth normally has a climate that allows for this luxurious blending of indoor and outdoor living, which only adds to the spacious feel of the home.   The appeal of House A and other tiny houses Even though the advantages of living small are obvious, there are quite a few who wonder what the actual appeal of such a lifestyle is. Yet the developers are convinced that this movement in small living is going to make a huge difference in the lives of the new generation: “ House A embodies our desire to build something relevant for our generation. A lot of younger people and downsizers don't have a lot of stuff or are having children much later and we are using our homes for all kinds of things, from starting businesses or hosting a long table dinner for 20. We wanted to build a prototype house that did all of these things, while being affordable, sustainable and made from really beautiful, long lasting materials, and we thought the best way was just to design and build it ourselves. ” Other sustainable measures Apart from mostly using recycled materials for its construction and attention paid to the way in which spaces interact with themselves and the outdoors, more measures have been implemented in House A that serve a greater purpose. For instance, an underground rainwater-collecting tank provides water for most of the house. Solar panels offset the electricity needs, and an indoor clothes-drying line provides a natural way of drying laundry - removing the need for mechanical solutions, such as an actual dryer.   All of these measures add up to a carbon neutral way of living, while the home’s garden might even elevate its status to being carbon negative. The garden space is a sanctuary for native plant species to grown and blossom, allowing local bird species to thrive. This makes it a great outdoor space that respects its environment while being a great space to relax for the human inhabitants. House A is definitely ranking up there with other small and tiny house projects. It is innovative, yet nifty and very sustainable. Plus, it definitely pleases the eye - if you are into bare and minimalistic living, that is. https://www.whatsorb.com/category/tiny-houses

What about a tiny house which you can expand in minutes to add a new room. When parked, it is possible to change the size of the Devasa, when on the road it fits below all bridges. Before we have shown you the Cécile from the French company ‘Optinid’, a tiny house with a sliding roof. When open you can watch the stars from your bed or take a sunbath without moving to your terrace. A tiny house which ‘slides up its roof’ Now on www.whatsorb.com the Devasa which ‘slides up its roof’. It’s a model from Tiny House NYC, which can increase in height to provide more space when staying in it. You can compare this technique with a European Alpen Kreuzer or Paradise, which was used by camping enthusiast especially in the 70 th and 80 th from the last century. Nowadays you could compare it with a camper van with a pop-up roof. Image by: Tiny House NYC, mediadrumimages Most tiny houses have a crampy low loft where you have to crawl to get in your bed. The Devasa  tiny house solves this problem just by the possibility to expand upward. When on the road in a lower position it meets legal standards to tow. The Devasa tiny house measures 7,20-meter-long and 3.80 meter high. By raising the ‘roof’ the height will be total a little more than 5 meters. Upstairs you will have an impressive 2-meter-high ceiling. The floorspace of the Devasa tiny house Floorspace is about 28 m2 with a standard outfit for tiny houses. There is a living room, kitchen, a bathroom with shower, sink and composting toilet. Upstairs are 2 bedrooms which is very unusually. They can be reached by a staircase which also is part of a storage. Image by: Tiny House NYC, mediadrumimages Having your bed(s) ready for a good night rest is all what is possible on the ‘top-floor’. Of course, some small furniture which does not extent the height of your bed. When the roof is lowered you would otherwise have to move all what is higher than your bed or it will be squeezed to a size which probably is not what you want! The lifting part of the roof runs on a 12 V car battery which powers 4 screw jacks which are fit in each corner of the Devasa tiny house. It is also possible to operate it manually in case of the system would fail. The price from the Devasa tiny house will be around €110.000 or $ 125.000 (with no appliances yet installed in the kitchen). Source:  Tiny Houses NYC https://www.whatsorb.com/category/tiny-houses