Ultra-Minimalist Tiny House Prototype Built for Preserving a 'Slow Town'

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Updated October 11, 2018

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Tiny homes of all stripes are a growing phenomenon around the world. Not only are they popping up in North America, Europe and New Zealand, they're also apparently making inroads in Asia. This modern take on the miniaturized, gabled-roof form in South Korea comes from Seoul-based architecture firm The+Partners and DNC Architects, and is intended as one supplementary option for housing visitors in the upcoming 2018 Winter Olympics, to be hosted in Pyeongchang, Gangwon-do.

Seen over at ArchDaily, the architects write that:

'The Tiny House of Slow Town', one of the 'Slow Town' projects, is the building of small houses that uses the least modules out of woods to expand the inadequate accommodations in Gangwon city, the host city for the Pyeongchang 2018 Olympic Winter Games, and also to provide an easy access to the geographical beauty of the city.

© Moobum Jang

Measuring 213 square feet, one of the first things to notice about this ultra-minimalist house is how the stair has been designed. Instead of being placed along a side wall, it has been pushed to the back, adjoined with the kitchen and bathroom spaces. It's also an alternating tread design, meaning it takes up less space, and has storage cubbies built in.

© Moobum Jang

Due to the layout, the kitchen is small, compared to other tiny homes, but the bathroom is positively palatial, with wooden flooring and an open shower.

© Moobum Jang

The wood panelling covers almost all surfaces, lending a clean and warm interior. The house itself is raised on footings, and there is radiant underfloor heating, to keep warm in the winter. There's only one window in the sleeping loft, which may be a problem in the summer.

© Moobum Jang

It was not entirely clear how many will be built before the games. But according to the architects, the aim of building such small buildings was to keep the beautiful landscape as natural as possible. These tiny houses will be part of a project called 'The Tiny House Of Slow Town', approved by the local council as a way to develop the town without over-building. The architects explain:

Gangwon city is one of the few clean areas left in Korea and it needs to be protected and kept that way. 'The Tiny House Of Slow Town' project has the purpose of providing accommodations with the maximized housing facilities while using the least materials, [and] that are environmentally friendly.

The minimalist character of this tiny home, with its contemporary-looking, blackened shou shugi ban exterior, offers a more refined look to the tiny house typology. Needless to say, it'll be interesting to see how this Tiny House of Slow Town project pans out in two years. More over at ArchDaily and The+Partners.