Micro self-build: the eco-friendly cabin concept

When a Finnish architect wanted to build a holiday home on an infrastructure-less island, the idea for this clever pre-fabricated cabin was born.

Eco-friendly and self-sufficient, the basic concept of this small but perfectly formed micro build is to be able to live comfortably without depleting the earth’s resources, according to the Finnish architect who created it.

Pekka Littow of Littow Architectes wanted to build a cabin to holiday in on a protected rocky island just off Helsinki, and the Majamaja concept is the fruits of problem-solving the hurdles he faced in building a structure here.

‘The island has not been civilised. That means no infrastructure, no sewerage etc. So I started to think about how to build a home in a place like this,’ he says. ‘I drew inspiration from various places, including the military’s use of off-grid systems, and came up with the idea for this cabin where the thinking is “less is more”. The cabins are self-sufficient, while everything is super-functional and takes up as little space as possible. Fixtures and technology are combined in different ways.’

The wooden cabins come in prefabricated kits, each with adjustable feet. This means that they can be erected without the need for laying foundations. They generate electricity via solar panels on the roof and have water tanks that recycle and purify water.

Inside, the cabin is designed to optimise space to make the internal 25 metres work hard. The bed is store in the wall for example, and a sleek linear shower drain from Unidrain is a subtle touch that doesn’t interrupt the floor space, helping the cabin feel larger.

You can find out more information about these cabins on the Majamaja website.