This is not a new video (click here if you can't see it embedded above). It's from 2015. But I still very much like the simplicity of the Vipp Shelter. It's only 55 square meters.

One problem is that it cost USD 585,000 at the time it was prefabricated. It goes to show you that prefabrication and small don't necessarily equate to affordability. For this reason, Lloyd Alter called it a "problematic prefab" back in 2015.

Of course, there are ways to make a home like this much more cost effective. I've been looking, on and off, for over a year for a piece of land that would be suitable for a project like this. I'll let you all know if I find something.

Johnathon Little (husband) and Zoe Little (wife) recently launched a new housing concept out of the UK called Koto, which is supposedly Finnish for “cozy at home.” 

(Before Koto, Johnathon worked for Snohetta in Oslo.)

The goal of the company is to create beautiful, small, and prefabricated houses and cabins that allow people to connect with nature. 

It is inspired by the Nordic concept Friluftsliv. The literal translation is “open air living” but, more specifically, it is about the benefits of nature on our mental and personal wellbeing.

Their small cabin has a footprint of 15 square meters and their large cabin has a footprint of 40 square meters. Base prices run from about £33,500 to £63,500. A bathroom is optional.

The most obvious use case for me is that of a bunkie. For more on Koto, check out their website and Instagram.

Photos: Koto

I am fascinated by the way the Japanese think about housing. It is very different than the way we think about housing here in North America. Below is a small house tour that reinforces that. If you can’t see it below, click here.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fEeh-8OFT8?rel=0&w=560&h=315]

This is not a new video (click here if you can't see it embedded above). It's from 2015. But I still very much like the simplicity of the Vipp Shelter. It's only 55 square meters.

One problem is that it cost USD 585,000 at the time it was prefabricated. It goes to show you that prefabrication and small don't necessarily equate to affordability. For this reason, Lloyd Alter called it a "problematic prefab" back in 2015.

Of course, there are ways to make a home like this much more cost effective. I've been looking, on and off, for over a year for a piece of land that would be suitable for a project like this. I'll let you all know if I find something.

Johnathon Little (husband) and Zoe Little (wife) recently launched a new housing concept out of the UK called Koto, which is supposedly Finnish for “cozy at home.” 

(Before Koto, Johnathon worked for Snohetta in Oslo.)

The goal of the company is to create beautiful, small, and prefabricated houses and cabins that allow people to connect with nature. 

It is inspired by the Nordic concept Friluftsliv. The literal translation is “open air living” but, more specifically, it is about the benefits of nature on our mental and personal wellbeing.

Their small cabin has a footprint of 15 square meters and their large cabin has a footprint of 40 square meters. Base prices run from about £33,500 to £63,500. A bathroom is optional.

The most obvious use case for me is that of a bunkie. For more on Koto, check out their website and Instagram.

Photos: Koto

I am fascinated by the way the Japanese think about housing. It is very different than the way we think about housing here in North America. Below is a small house tour that reinforces that. If you can’t see it below, click here.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fEeh-8OFT8?rel=0&w=560&h=315]