You can not have failed to notice: small living is the trend and not only in the Netherlands. Tiny houses, of course once started in America, slowly start to conquer the whole world. And it is not just about living smaller, with less stuff, but also about sustainable and energy-neutral living. Architects came again last year with many new designs, which put the small living in the picture. We mention three:
Tiny houses. Living at a parking lot: Tikku
Tikku means 'stick' in Finnish. This tiny house was designed by the Finnish architect Marco Casagrande (what's in a name?) And fits exactly at a parking lot with 2.5 by 5 meters. The house is three stories high and actually works just like lego: you stack the floors together. You can redesign those floors as you want.
The first designs do not yet have a kitchen or shower, but they are working on that. Furthermore, the house is completely 'off grid', so that means a compost toilet and solar panels on the roof to generate energy.
The house is made of a certain type of wood, which ensures that the house is not too heavy. So there is no foundation for this house. The design also makes the house earthquake-resistant.
Foldable house: M.A.Di.
Also the Italian architects of the folding house M.A.di. have designed a tiny house that is earthquake resistant. Because the house can also be transported in a folded state and can be built up within 6 hours, it is not only suitable as a home, but also as a temporary home in disaster areas. You can also fold the house very easily and rebuild it at a different location. Again, no foundation is needed.
With solar panels, water reuse and LED lighting, the architects try to make the house as sustainable as possible. And if you still want more living space after a while, because there is, for example, a small arrival, that is possible. The M.A.Di. house can easily be extended from 27 square to 84 square meters. And that is not really tiny anymore.
Tree house: Half tree house
This house of Jacobschang Architecture is built in the middle of the forest and supports half of the trees around the house. Hence the name: Half Tree House. Because the house is therefore half in the air, here too no foundation is needed. In this way, the designers try to make the smallest possible breach of the environment, in this case the forest.
The house was made from the local pine trees, so no building material from all over the world needed to be towed to the building site. This house is also off grid: no running water and no electricity. There is a wood stove present where you can also cook.
The main goal of the designers was to make the house as much part of the environment as possible. And that succeeded, because last year the house won several prizes.
Posted in Living, Half tree house, MADi, New living, folding house, Tikku, tiny house. By Wyke Potjer
https://www.whatsorb.com/category/tiny-houses