Small House Bliss

Small house designs with big impact

Category Archives: studio


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The Bensfield Tree House by Blue Forest

The Bensfield Tree House in Sussex by Blue Forest

Located on a farm in the Sussex, England countryside is this small house built around a very big tree. This isn’t a tree house in the sense of actually being supported by the tree — it does have its own foundation — however it is raised above the ground on stilts and has a large oak tree growing up through the middle of it. The Bensfield Tree House was one of the first tree houses built by Blue Forest, a company specializing in constructing elaborate tree houses and similar structures for hotels and private clients.

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The Port-a-Bach, a container cabin by Atelierworkshop

Port-a-Bach, a shipping container cabin by Bonnifait + Giesen, Atelierworkshop

photo by Paul McCredie

Architects Cecile Bonnifait and William Giesen of Atelierworkshop have recycled a used 20′ shipping container to create the Port-a-Bach. “Bach” is the New Zealand term for a small back-to-basics vacation cabin. The Port-a-Bach is a fully self-contained shelter for a family of four.

A 20′ container doesn’t offer much inside space, so Atelierworkshop designed it to expand outwards. One of the original long walls of the container folds down to become a deck running the length of the cabin, and revealing a second wall of glass doors behind. Opening up the container end doors allows a pair of bunkbeds to be folded down and supported by the open doors. The bunks can be enclosed with mosquito netting or tent canvas as conditions demand. Once the vacation is over, the deck and end doors can be closed up again to secure the cabin.

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The Beach Hut, a romantic retreat in Cornwall

The Beach Hut, a romantic cottage in Cornwall

© Unique Home Stays

This snug retreat provides a secluded escape for lovers. The 85 year old cottage is located on a remote cove on the rugged windswept coast of Cornwall. The Beach Hut was a teahouse when first built in the 1920′s, but had not been occupied for years and was terribly run-down when purchased by the current owners. They undertook a sympathetic restoration, preserving what they could and only introducing new materials that were compatible with the old. The original character is on display with clapboard siding, a stone chimney, and a weathered porch that overlooks the cove.

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Weekend Fun: Writer’s Block I by Cheng + Snyder

Writer's Block I by Cheng + Snyder

This small structure in Maine was designed by architects Cheng + Snyder for use as a combination writing studio and boat shed. From a distance it appears to be an ordinary shingled shed, but up close it offers a number of surprises. Something about the building seems a bit off but it is difficult to pin down what it is at first glance. The lack of overhangs together with uniform wall and roof shingles gives it a somewhat plastic appearance, as if it had been molded in one piece rather than assembled. Unlike the traditional shed, this one has windows wrapping around the corners, plus one that wraps up onto the roof. All the windows have been recessed into the walls, giving them an unusual appearance. The absence of any obvious entrance door only adds to the enigmatic nature of this small outbuilding.

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MIMA House, a modern, flexible prefab by MIMA Architects

MIMA House prefab by MIMA Architects

MIMA House is a small prefabricated dwelling manufactured in northern Portugal. It is unique for its ability to be reconfigured by the owners post-delivery. The interior walls consist of lightweight panels that can be easily relocated or removed by two people. MIMA House is the creation of architects Mário Sousa and Marta Brandão of MIMA Architects. They spent several years refining the concept in order to arrive at a finished product that would be quick to manufacture, easy to assemble, of good quality and affordable.

The house has a square plan with the four facades being nearly identical. Corner posts support the roof so that the intervening walls can be entirely glass. The exterior styling is unabashedly modern with clean lines and crisply folded edges.

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Solar Decathlon Europe: Ekihouse

photo by Jesús Martín Ruiz | UPV/EHU eki project

Continuing our coverage of Solar Decathlon Europe 2012, today we take a look at Ekihouse (“sun house”), a small prefabricated house in two modules. Ekihouse is the result of a collaboration between two Basque schools, Universidad del País Vasco and Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea. It has a simple floor plan with the kitchen and utilities at one end, the bathroom at the other, and an open loft-like living space in the middle. The living area is enclosed by triple-paned sliding patio doors on the two remaining sides.

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Weekend Fun: Flake House by OLGGA Architects

photo by Fabienne Delafraye

It’s Friday and time for a bit of weekend fun. And this is a fun little project, a tiny shed-roofed retreat built to resemble a stack of logs that has been snapped in half. Consider it post-modern log cabin.

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Weekend Fun: “Final Wooden House” by Sou Fujimoto

Final Wooden House by Sou Fujimoto

photo by Iwan Baan

“Final Wooden House” is a very small weekend house by architect Sou Fujimoto. Fujimoto’s works are often playful, questioning the basic assumptions of what a house should be. In his take on the log cabin, massive 14″ (35 cm) cedar timbers are stacked into a cube. These timbers form not only the exterior but also extend inside to create a complex series of interlinked spaces and cubbyholes. The various surfaces can be used as tables, beds, shelves or benches. The only predefined space is the bathroom in a lower corner. In the words of the architect:

There is no separation of floor, wall and ceiling here. A place that was thought as a floor transforms into a chair, a ceiling, or a wall from different perspectives. Floor levels are relative and people perceive the space according to where they are…The occupants discover various functions within those undulations.

Final Wooden House by Sou Fujimoto

photo by Iwan Baan

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