Tiny Houses

Tiny house made from cardboard is flexible, fun and green

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Nido House will be available in three sizes: 16 sq m (172 sq ft), 19.6 sq m (210 sq ft), and 23.2 sq m (250 sq ft)
Nido House/Francesca Fadalti
Nido House will be available in three sizes: 16 sq m (172 sq ft), 19.6 sq m (210 sq ft), and 23.2 sq m (250 sq ft)
Nido House/Francesca Fadalti
The house is recyclable and made from a cardboard core
Nido House/Francesca Fadalti
The composting toilet
Nido House/Francesca Fadalti
The tiny home also features a rainwater capture system and black water recycling system 
Nido House/Francesca Fadalti
Heat comes via a wood-burning stove
Nido House/Francesca Fadalti
The color and design of the prints on the home's exterior are customizable
Nido House/Francesca Fadalti
The tiny homes are quick to assemble (the process is likened to erecting a tent and can be managed by a single person)
Nido House/Francesca Fadalti
Electricity comes from a roof-based solar array, which should be good enough for running low-power devices like phones and laptops
Nido House/Francesca Fadalti
Fadalti and Romano have launched a series of temporary hotels, dubbed Nido House TH (temporary hotel) based on the design
Nido House/Francesca Fadalti
Render showing the exterior design of the tiny house
Nido House/Francesca Fadalti
Render showing the exterior design of the tiny house
Nido House/Francesca Fadalti
Nido House will be available in three sizes: 16 sq m (172 sq ft), 19.6 sq m (210 sq ft), and 23.2 sq m (250 sq ft)
Nido House/Francesca Fadalti
Inside the Nido House Temporary Hotel, located in Sulzano, northern Italy, until September 2016
Nido House
The Nido House Temporary Hotel, located in Sulzano, northern Italy, until September 2016
Nido House
The bedroom of the Nido House Temporary Hotel, located in Sulzano, northern Italy, until September 2016
Nido House
Looking through the porthole window of the Nido House Temporary Hotel, located in Sulzano, northern Italy, until September 2016
Nido House
The Nido House Temporary Hotel, located in Sulzano, northern Italy, until September 2016
Nido House
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Living in a cardboard box generally signifies that you've fallen on hard times, but a new cardboard-based tiny house dubbed Nido House makes the idea seem really quite appealing. The off-grid dwelling boasts a solar power system and rainwater recovery system, and will be offered in multiple sizes and designs.

If the thought of a home made from cardboard sounds ridiculous, it shouldn't, at least not necessarily. Wikkelhouse recently unveiled its house made from cardboard and we've also previously highlighted cardboard's impressive versatility, including its use as a bike helmet and homeless shelter.

Though still in development, the idea from Italian architect Francesca Fadalti and business partner Michela Romano is for Nido House to be made available in three sizes: 16 sq m (172 sq ft), 19.6 sq m (210 sq ft), and 23.2 sq m (250 sq ft), and shipped in flatpack form on a pallet. The color and design of the prints on the home's exterior will be customizable, with selections made directly from the firm's website.

In addition, customers will also be able to choose their own interior layout, depending on whether they want the Nido House to serve as a tiny house, additional bedroom, temporary store, or an office, for example. The firm also sees them serving as a refugee shelter, though presumably they'll need to prove really tough for this to work.

Fadalti and Romano have launched a series of temporary hotels, dubbed Nido House TH (temporary hotel) based on the design
Nido House/Francesca Fadalti

The house is recyclable and made from a cardboard core covered in a protective film and a vinyl-like covering made from a recyclable plastic. It's promised to be quick to assemble and the home gets its power from a roof-based solar array, which should be ample for running low-power devices like phones and laptops.

Heat comes from a wood-burning stove and the tiny home also features a rainwater capture system, black water recycling system, and composting toilet. A shower can be added too.

Owing to its early stage of development, we've no word on the expected price or lifespan of the Nido House. Likewise, no information on finer details like insulation, fire-proofing, weather resistance and so on has been forthcoming.

The tiny homes are quick to assemble (the process is likened to erecting a tent and can be managed by a single person)
Nido House/Francesca Fadalti

Fadalti and Romano recently launched a hotel business based on the design, which they've called Nido House TH (standing for temporary hotel, as each model is in use for only 120 days at a time – possibly a hint as to the expected durability of the Nido House). Each Nido House TH will be installed in an unconventional spot. The first is currently in the grounds of a B&B in Sulzano, Italy, adjacent to a new work by Christo.

Sources: Nido House, Francesca Fadalti (in Italian) via Abitare

View gallery - 17 images
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1 comment
Brooke
Some years ago a company, maybe in Berkeley, came up with a small elegant and simple die cut cardboard building (later a plastic version) that was very low in cost, but neither of them were fireproof and that's what caused their demise.