Madrid-based architect Camino Alonso compares the design of her tiny prefab house to a Monopoly game piece. Meant for two inhabitants, its 88 square feet are so cleverly laid out that there's plenty of storage. Really.
If you have a spot to put it—and if you live within driving distance of the Madrid factory—you can buy your own tiny house. Prices start at 21,900 € (or about $26,000 US).
The secret to making a tiny space feel airy? High ceilings. With a steep roof line, the design of this prefab house departs deliberately from the cargo-container look. After we spotted this tiny house via Architizer, we had to take a look around:
Photography via Ábaton Architects.
Above: Architect Camino Alonso based her tiny prefab design on the universally recognized silhouette of the "house" piece in Monopoly. "It doesn’t belong to any certain culture, but anybody would understand it as a house," she told Architizer.
Above: It takes one day to assemble the award-winning house (the 2014 recipient of Architizer's A+ Awards for Living Small and Single Family House). The prefab will be delivered via flatbed truck to a site six to eight weeks after an order is placed.
Above: The facade has gray cement boards over a timber frame, to blend harmoniously with both natural and urban surroundings. In contrast, interior panels are white-washed Spanish fir, and the frames of the large window and door are black steel.
Above: The pitched roof increases the ceiling height to 11.5 feet. "We studied the proportions to make sure that the sensation when you were sitting in the sitting room was a sensation of being in a house," says Alonso.
Above: On a side wall, a center window swings outward to open.
Above: The house, which sleeps two, features stealth storage including built-in shelves and cabinets, and is available in a variety of floor plans that include a bath, kitchen, and bedroom.
Above: For more information on the home's specs, including options for solar panels and water tanks, see Ábaton.
Would you like to live small? Some of our favorite cabins and cottages are tiny. For instance:
- A Tuscan Cliffside Aerie
- Rehab Diary: From Garage to Tiny Cottage in LA on a Budget
- An Island Cabin, Sauna Included
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