The Charred Cabin – Harmony On 15 Square Meters

by Paul Ciocoiu · December 4, 2015

It’s been a while since we last wrote about a hobby and a trend rapidly spreading across the globe – tiny houses. In search of complete freedom, man takes shelter in a few square meter homes where he finds himself again, far away from the city hustle. Discreetly placed wherever the owner wishes but always in the midst of nature, these tiny houses never cease to amaze us through a more and more diverse design, but practical regardless of the lines and shapes.

We are today looking at a tiny house built in a sparsely populated and historic region of the Chilean coastal range. The clients requested a mountain hideout containing the minimum essential living spaces to keep the cost of the project down. With only a 15-square-metre footprint, the cabin contains a small kitchen, bathroom and living area on the lower level and a sleeping platform above, design website Dezeen.com writes.

The charred cabin – impressive views all around the cabin

“To fit in a budget, the activities required to fulfil within the cabin were explicitly simple: a place to eat, sleep and read for two, everything else is to be offset outside,” said the architects. The house was raised above the grassy site on two rows of timber pillars and constructed from prefabricated SIPs – structural insulated panels – that enabled it to be assembled quickly. To avoid chemically treating the external surfaces, the architects employed a natural process of charring the pine planks to create a protective layer, according to the same source.

Inside, the wooden walls create an intimate and pleasant atmosphere, opening up the small space. The access to the sleeping area at the mezzanine is done via a black steel ladder. Two rows of windows, on two sides of the house, open the bedroom to the impressive views outside. A window next to a small dining table at the far end of the space looks straight across the adjacent valley. A small deck outside can be a practical transition area to the wild nature outside and a space of extra relaxing moments in the open air.