Tiny houses are a sensitive subject. Some people are absolutely against them, others would die for their own little minimalistic home. Yet whether you are against it or not, it is difficult to deny the charm of a secluded cabin, lost amidst nature in the middle of nowhere. If you are still looking for the perfect design, Mountain Refuge might be your cup of tea.
Italian architects Massimo Gnocchi and Paolo Danesi were, like a lot of us, obsessed with the idea of a tiny house. One quick look at their work suffices to see that they love a good dose of minimalism and what better way to put that in action than to design a small house which only fits the bare necessities?
1. Beach, mountain or woods
And so the idea for Mountain Refuge was born. Yet with so many designs already available on the market, it is difficult to make a tiny house that stands out from the crowd. Nevertheless, that is exactly what Massimo Gnocchi and Paolo Danesi did. The special thing about Mountain Refuge, you see, is the fact that the cabin-like tiny house can be set up almost anywhere – and we mean anywhere. Want a cabin on the beach? Check. A cabin in the woods? Check. A cabin in the mountains? You get the gist.Â
That versatility does not come naturally with tiny houses and definitely is what makes Mountain Refuge so special. The cabin is prefabricated and does not need a foundation (although you could add a slab of concrete if you wanted to) and therefore perfect even for the most secluded spots. Gnocchi and Danesi found their inspiration in the typical Italian refuges in the Alps, yet they definitely took it to another level. The sloped roof, the floor-to-ceiling window, the wooden interior, the open layout… It is hard to do better and just looking at it, you will get a boutique hotel-feeling. If you want some more space and a separated bedroom, you could also add a second module, taking the ground surface from 24 to 36 square meters.
2. Sustainable
However, the architects have thought further than the looks alone. They want their design to be as sustainable as possible and therefore offer buyers the possibility to add solar cells and rainwater collection to the tiny house. That way, it would be possible to live totally off-grid, far away from the rest of the world. It almost sounds too good to be true, doesn’t it?
Although the Mountain Refuge is not yet available on the market, Gnocchi and Danesi estimate that the tiny house will cost between 40.000 and 50.000 euros, the second compartment being included in that price.
