When Petra and Benedikt Renz and their two children, Ida and Wanja, purchased a prefab tiny home for their farm in Wangen im Allgäu, Germany, their goal was to bring people closer to nature. “We manage two organic farms that have been in our families for generations,” Petra says. “We grew up here near Lake Constance and the Alps, where it’s mainly grassland and forest—we love our region, and we want to give people the ability to get to know the landscape and its beauty.”

Designed by Manta North, the 516-square-foot home lies near the intersection of Switzerland, Austria, and Germany. “We don’t often use the term “picture-perfect,” but this rural idyll—with cows grazing right by your side and soft snow flurries in the winter—comes close,” architect Reinis Saliņš says. “It’s an alpine landscape with lush valleys and pastures that make the location magical...even fairytale like.”

Designed to serve as a guesthouse for visitors and family, the tiny home is clad with cross-laminated timber, which the firm says offers a sustainable, durable, and precise alternative to concrete, metal, and gypsum. According to the team, every Manta North prefab leaves the factory with a negative carbon footprint. “The biggest advantages of prefabrication are the building speed, the simple and straightforward construction process, and the low impact on the environment,” Saliņš says.

The tiny home has a simple, archetypal silhouette with a rectangular form and a gable roof with hidden gutters that can either divert rainwater or collect it for filtering and reuse. Inside, the home features a fully equipped kitchen, a bedroom, a bathroom, a guest area, a smart lighting system, heated oak parquet flooring, and plenty of windows.

“The internal organization is a play between activity areas at the center of the volume, and uninterrupted passage along the perimeter,” Saliņš says. “The living area and the bedroom are placed at opposite ends of the module, while the bathroom and the kitchen are in the middle as functional separators. This clarity allows the user to experience the maximum potential of the space.”

Saliņš and the Manta North design team chose cross-laminated timber for the interior walls and ceiling, and they treated it with only a light oil finish. The pale-toned walls and ceiling create an airy aesthetic and reflect the sunlight that streams in through a massive floor-to-ceiling window in the living area.

In the kitchen/dining area, charcoal-colored cabinetry and polished quartz counters offset the pale timber walls, ceiling, and flooring, lending contrast and a cool sleekness to the tiny home’s interior.

The design fits seamlessly into the surrounding landscape, and it looks as if it has existed on the site for decades. However, the tiny house is also mobile and can be relocated at any time. “After seeing the trend toward larger homes, we came to the understanding that more space means more time and expense,” Saliņš says. “Life is evolving faster than expected, and this new kind of compact mobility fulfills the needs of a changing society.”

More projects by Manta North:

This Timber Prefab by Manta North Is What Dreams Are Made Of

With Natural Materials, a Latvian Prefab Embraces the Countryside

A Prefab Retreat in Iceland Is Positioned for Jaw-Dropping Views

Project Credits:

Design & Construction: Manta North / @mantanorth

Interior Design: Mint Furniture

Lighting Design: Muuto

Appears In

A Prefab Tiny House Springs Up on a Fairytale Site in the Bavarian Alps