Just a short 30-minute bike ride from downtown Helsinki, Finland, Littow Architects is in the process of completing Majamaja Village, a collection of five off-grid, prefab cabins available to rent for a nature-filled vacation. The firm's first model, the Majamaja Cabin, was completed in 2020 and acts not only as an example for the future cabins that will arise on-site, but also a housing model to be used worldwide.
With a literal and figuratively small footprint, the off-grid design system of the Majamaja Cabin centers sustainability and harmony with nature. Like other landscape hotels we've drooled over, Majamaja encourages guests to disconnect from a hectic lifestyle and immerse themselves in their surroundings. Littow Architects also hope guests learn the joys of living sustainability, and that comfort and good design aren't things we need to sacrifice in the name of eco-conciousness.
As such, the Majamaja Cabin is a prefab structure and transportable with a design that's easy to assemble and disassemble with little trace left behind in the process. Clad in black painted native spruce, the exterior features a boardwalk and deck that overlook the water, plus a large floor-to-ceiling window up front and a solar panel line-up on the gabled roof.
At about 250 square feet, the interior is small but houses a kitchen and living area, a bathroom and shower room, and a sleeping mezzanine. Folding furniture and plywood doors that block off the kitchen area make efficient use of the modest floor plan, and most of the interior is made with plywood and painted black for an affordable yet sleek design.
The cabin is outfitted with a closed-loop water system that minimizes waste by filtering lightly-used shower and kitchen grey water, while waste from the dry toilet is repurposed as feritlzer. Solar panels provide electricity to various minor appliances, and large windows let in plenty of natural light for an all-around environmentally friendly design.
While the Majamaja village continues to be built, guests can sign up for a waiting list to book the first model, which rents for $225 per night. Littow Archirects has plans to bring its design worldwide with its first international project being a similar eco-village in France. (Here's hoping New York City is next!)
Published 09-09-2021
