Houzz Tours
Houzz Tour: A Cosy, Handmade Tiny House in the Woods
Two students who dreamed of having a relaxing haven decided to build it themselves. After all, how hard could it be…
While on holiday in Finland’s pristine wilderness, architecture student Timm Bergmann and urban design student Jonas Becker had an idea: why not build a small bungalow right there? Full of energy and equipped with theoretical knowledge they were raring to put into practice, the two German students created a retreat far away from the big city.
The duo did everything themselves, from drawing up the plans, to building the supply road necessary for bringing their materials to the site, to crafting every detail of the simple, serene home.
The duo did everything themselves, from drawing up the plans, to building the supply road necessary for bringing their materials to the site, to crafting every detail of the simple, serene home.
Bergmann and Becker jumped in feet first, shifting gears from theory to practice and learning a lot about construction and Finnish permit processes along the way.
“My mother owns a plot of land nearby,” Bergmann says. “We were able to lease the area where we wanted to build for a token amount. However, we still had to submit a building application, of course.”
The two students scraped together their life savings for the project, and the first draft of their plan served as their undergraduate dissertation.
“My mother owns a plot of land nearby,” Bergmann says. “We were able to lease the area where we wanted to build for a token amount. However, we still had to submit a building application, of course.”
The two students scraped together their life savings for the project, and the first draft of their plan served as their undergraduate dissertation.
“We were both in our sixth semester [that is, halfway through their studies] and wanted to test out all the theory we’d learned, to see if everything really works the way you learn at university,” Bergmann says.
To keep to the tight budget of about £10,700 (€12,000), but also get as much experience as possible, the two students planned and built almost everything themselves.
“Sitting on the roof yourself, pulling a stovepipe through the ceiling and then sealing the roof – that’s something else. We wanted to experience these processes instead of just planning them in theory,” Bergmann says.
To keep to the tight budget of about £10,700 (€12,000), but also get as much experience as possible, the two students planned and built almost everything themselves.
“Sitting on the roof yourself, pulling a stovepipe through the ceiling and then sealing the roof – that’s something else. We wanted to experience these processes instead of just planning them in theory,” Bergmann says.
Their design is complex, but has a simple, minimalist effect. “The house is staggered so you get a different view from each window,” Becker says. The four slightly offset rooms are spread over a total area of only about 280 sq ft (26 sq m) and are surrounded by an impressive natural landscape.
The rooms are arranged for ease of use. The kitchen leads to a small living room, which is then followed by the bedroom and the sauna. (A composting toilet is located in a detached hut.) The four rooms are identical, but rotated in relation to one another.
“There’s always a wall on the tallest side and a double window on another side. These windows are also called ‘summerhouse windows’ in Finland. With their double glazing, they are totally sufficient [for keeping warmth inside], and they were easy to work with thanks to the solid wood frames,” Becker says.
“There’s always a wall on the tallest side and a double window on another side. These windows are also called ‘summerhouse windows’ in Finland. With their double glazing, they are totally sufficient [for keeping warmth inside], and they were easy to work with thanks to the solid wood frames,” Becker says.
The students re-examined their plans repeatedly during the building process. “Sometimes, ideas and changes only come up once construction is already underway,” Becker says.
“As we built everything ourselves, we not only cut costs, we were also able to make changes along the way. As a result, we extended the terrace, built the roof ourselves – contrary to the initial plan – and made the stovepipes ourselves,” Bergmann says.
“As we built everything ourselves, we not only cut costs, we were also able to make changes along the way. As a result, we extended the terrace, built the roof ourselves – contrary to the initial plan – and made the stovepipes ourselves,” Bergmann says.
The two set up a kind of base camp in the house where Bergmann’s grandparents once lived. As it has electricity and running water, it provided them with the infrastructure to prefabricate as many parts of the bungalow as possible without being dependent on the weather.
Looking for an architect with an interesting vision? Read reviews of professionals in your area
Looking for an architect with an interesting vision? Read reviews of professionals in your area
“The house has a modular frame. In total, we installed 17 squared timber frames. Then 18mm-thick plywood boards added rigidity. They are connected to each other with further wood,” Bergmann says.
Since no paths or roads led to the site, the two students needed a way to get themselves and their materials to the property before they could start building in earnest. “We needed a dock-like pathway to transport the building material through the marshy terrain to the site,” Bergmann says.
So they spent the first four weeks of their initial stay building a roughly 200m-long wooden walkway. They transported each component with a tractor from the base camp, over a 2-mile-long forest path, before crossing the last couple of miles on foot.
Since no paths or roads led to the site, the two students needed a way to get themselves and their materials to the property before they could start building in earnest. “We needed a dock-like pathway to transport the building material through the marshy terrain to the site,” Bergmann says.
So they spent the first four weeks of their initial stay building a roughly 200m-long wooden walkway. They transported each component with a tractor from the base camp, over a 2-mile-long forest path, before crossing the last couple of miles on foot.
This was an exhausting and time-consuming job, and Bergmann and Becker did almost everything themselves. “We built almost everything on our own, but friends from Germany came every now and then during the construction phases to help us out,” Bergmann says. In return, the volunteers received the unlimited right to stay at the bungalow.
The two students placed the bungalow on a foundation of galvanised water pipes. “A contractor from the area welded them together,” Bergmann says. “Except for those, we tried to use as many natural materials as possible, and also to reduce the nonessentials to a minimum.”
The two students placed the bungalow on a foundation of galvanised water pipes. “A contractor from the area welded them together,” Bergmann says. “Except for those, we tried to use as many natural materials as possible, and also to reduce the nonessentials to a minimum.”
There is no electricity in the house, but it is outfitted with a small metal wood-burning stove and a sauna stove.
There is no running water, either. “We are currently building our own water filtration system. The water from the lake is potable,” Bergmann says, though it’s currently full of sediment.
“In future, water will be passed through a simple sediment filter and then heated in a 30L water tank integrated into the sauna stove.” In the meantime, the pair bring bottled water with them.
There is no running water, either. “We are currently building our own water filtration system. The water from the lake is potable,” Bergmann says, though it’s currently full of sediment.
“In future, water will be passed through a simple sediment filter and then heated in a 30L water tank integrated into the sauna stove.” In the meantime, the pair bring bottled water with them.
The interior of the plywood-covered rooms is simple and unpretentious. “The table, armchair, sofa and chest of drawers already have long lives behind them,” Bergmann says. This furniture used to stand in his grandparents’ house, and makes this little place comfy and cosy.
“We actually adapted the modules to the dimensions of the furniture,” Bergmann says. “The spaces were built so that everything would fit perfectly. For example, the bedroom unit is exactly 2.02m (6⅗ft) wide to make sure the mattress would fit. We also measured the chest of drawers before planning out the size of the room.”
Take a tour of another cleverly laid out tiny house in Scotland
“We actually adapted the modules to the dimensions of the furniture,” Bergmann says. “The spaces were built so that everything would fit perfectly. For example, the bedroom unit is exactly 2.02m (6⅗ft) wide to make sure the mattress would fit. We also measured the chest of drawers before planning out the size of the room.”
Take a tour of another cleverly laid out tiny house in Scotland
Custom features – the kitchen workbench and a wardrobe in the bedroom – were also built by the two students themselves.
“We wanted to show that a house doesn’t have to be big,” Bergmann says. “Building something beautiful doesn’t have to be expensive,” Becker adds. They want to communicate their values with their design, and show that it’s possible to build a house, even without extensive practical experience.
“We wanted to show that a house doesn’t have to be big,” Bergmann says. “Building something beautiful doesn’t have to be expensive,” Becker adds. They want to communicate their values with their design, and show that it’s possible to build a house, even without extensive practical experience.
It took three summers of work before the house passed inspection by the Finnish building authority, in the autumn of 2017. “Time was a decisive factor,” Bergmann says. “After the first summer, the house was winter-proof, but the interior and the ceiling insulation were still missing.”
The pair are already planning their next projects with some other classmates, this time for clients: a guest house with a sauna in Finland and a larger summerhouse in Potsdam. Soon, they will be graduating and embarking on their careers. Still, the lakeside house remains a very personal retreat “for fishing, reading and foraging for berries,” Bergmann says.
Tell us…
What do you think of this tiny plywood house? Share your thoughts in the Comments section.
The pair are already planning their next projects with some other classmates, this time for clients: a guest house with a sauna in Finland and a larger summerhouse in Potsdam. Soon, they will be graduating and embarking on their careers. Still, the lakeside house remains a very personal retreat “for fishing, reading and foraging for berries,” Bergmann says.
Tell us…
What do you think of this tiny plywood house? Share your thoughts in the Comments section.
Who lives here? Timm Bergmann and Jonas Becker of Studio Politaire
Location Lavia, southwest Finland
Size About 280 sq ft (26 sq m), with an additional outhouse
Photos by Andre Boettcher Photography
Becker and Bergmann built the house set back a bit from the lake shore on an undeveloped forest plot in one of the more sparsely populated areas of Finland.
“There was no electricity or water. No path led to the plot. We carried out a soil analysis and drew up a design based on the results, under the supervision of architect Jan Kampshoff,” Bergmann says.