Bjarke Ingels 设计环保微型度假屋

Location: Utzon Center, Slotspladsen 4, 9000 Aalborg, Denmark

Design: BIG

Client: Klein

Timber Supplier: Dinesen

Designed by architect Bjarke Ingels of BIG, this tiny home offers just 20 sq-m of living space defined by its Scandinavian design aesthetic.

Key features

Architect Bjarke Ingels of BIG designed the A45 tiny house for Klein, a company that sells high-end prefabricated homes. It is currently on display at the Utzon Center in Aalborg, Denmark as part of the Holiday Home exhibition, which explores the history and future of vacation houses. With just about 20 sq-m of total living space, A45 returns to the humble roots of the holiday home. Its form is inspired by the classic A-shaped frame. The main façade is made of glass which helps the small space to feel larger and maintains a connection to the surrounding environment. The ground floor is open with a small sofa, dining table, a kitchenette and a bathroom. A centrally located ladder provides access to a loft space where a two-person bed is found. The home is clad in wood from Danish timber company Dinesen. The construction process has been optimized to ensure zero waste.

Frame's take

Tiny homes cost a fraction of the money and energy that a traditionally sized home might cost. Research conducted by Maria Saxton, a PhD candidate in environmental planning and design at Virginia Tech, found that those who moved from traditionally sized homes to tiny homes in the United States reduced their overall ecological footprints by approximately 45 per cent. She also found that the move correlated to changes in behaviour altogether. People were more inclined to recycle and adopt practices like collecting rainwater, driving less and decreasing their purchasing habits. Given these benefits, tiny homes offer a solution to issues such as a lack of affordable housing and large environmental footprints.

While the A45 tiny house is not necessarily presented as a solution to the former – the price of the model prefabricated home starts at €275,000 – its environmental benefits can prove especially useful for its intended use as a holiday home. People's second homes are very much that – their secondary homes. Holiday homes tend to be used sparingly comparison to one's main residency making the opportunity to reduce one's space and resource consumption footprint is a welcome one, especially for those afforded with the luxury of owning a second home.