A Yoga Teacher’s Tiny Home on Wheels Goes Off-Grid in Greece
Commissioned by a dance and yoga instructor from Glasgow, House on Wheels is a 270-square-foot, tiny home built for her summer yoga retreats held near the village of Kerames in Southern Crete. Sam Booth, founder of Scottish small home builders Echo Living, designed the diminutive dwelling to be transported and expanded on-site. The building is off-grid but on wheels, equipped with solar power and a compost toilet.
The large external door to the end of the house is solid timber.
"Because the building is site-specific, it had to conform to a restricted layout," says Booth. "It also had to be transported to site by road from Scotland. The concept was for a building which could opened up and be expanded on site, fanning out to create an open-plan space with a sleeping platform, all designed to fit between the trees and under the shade," says Booth.
The hideaway is nestled within a secluded olive grove that’s accessible via a very steep, narrow road, and looks out to with wonderful views over the Libyan Sea.
The exterior of the house is clad in white composite with an etched surface pattern.
"We offered a sustainable solution for a small building, which would cause minimal environmental impact, and an alternative to the more traditional building methods using concrete foundations, which would inevitably harm the trees," says Booth.
The interior walls, shelves, and other fixtures were built using 19-mm CLT and have been left with their natural spruce finish that will turn golden with exposure to the daylight.
House on Wheels consists of two separate buildings: a main living and sleeping area, and a shower room. The two buildings are connected by a timber walkway.
The rainfall shower head is from a range at Victoria Plumb, while the compost toilet in stainless steel is from Natsol.
The separate, outdoor shower room keeps the built elements of the house small, allowing the entire layout to fit between the trees. This way, the house makes the best of the warm summer days, when the building is predominantly in use.
The reclaimed Glasgow Tenement tiles used on the fireplace belonged to the client. The wood burner is a 4kw Salamander Hobbit in almond and black; above, recessed LED lights from On Solar light the space.
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Spruce timber panels on the interior walls, along with timber and tile flooring, creates a minimalist, restful living area. Concealed storage and clearly defined spaces for living, cooking, and sleeping help orient the owner in the open-plan home.
"Storage was created in deep drawers, which roll out from beneath the window seat under the skylight," says Booth. "Shelves, designed to house favorite objects, create ever-changing screens against the windows and between spaces, and a neat wardrobe sits to the rear of the sleeping space."
Locally sourced ceramic tiles are used in the kitchenette, all designed and built by Echo Living.
Floor-to-ceiling, sliding glass doors open onto a timber deck to bring the outdoors, and its cooling breezes, in. A solid timber door with hanging pegs holds the sink cover/chopping board. The floating kitchenette unit has a Butler ceramic sink and a compact fridge.
The kitchen unit hangs in front of the full height window, and is built in CLT faced in cool, white laminate with exposed edges.
A built-in bench with a skylight above it creates a bright, cozy nook. Large drawers underneath provide vital storage space.
On a slate hearth in front of a tiled fireplace, a stove and flue separate the sitting area from a small sleeping space. Here, a discreet double bed is raised on a platform beside a small wardrobe, shelves, and a built-in bedside table with reading light.
The small fireplace creates a visual pause between the living and sleeping spaces, while the large skylight and plenty of glazed walls bring daylight into the space.
The double-glazed patio doors and the bedroom window were custom-manufactured by Velfac.
"Off grid and entirely independent from the land, House on Wheels is sensitive to the treasured site, touching the ground lightly," says Booth. "The lightness of the interior, and its connection to the outdoors, creates a living space much larger than its physical size. The generous glazed openings, two doors, and roof vents allow the flow of air to keep the interior cool sustainably, without the need for power-hungry, mechanical cooling systems."
Related Reading: Get Off the Grid and Recharge at This Tiny Cabin in Virginia’s Countryside
Project Credits:
Architect of Record, Builder, Cabinetry, and Interior Design: Echo Living
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