Architecture

Modular off-grid house in the trees is child's play

Modular off-grid house in the trees is child's play
The Bert is due to be made available for purchase in early 2020 starting at €120,000
The Bert is due to be made available for purchase in early 2020 starting at €120,000
View 13 Images
The Bert is due to be made available for purchase in early 2020 starting at €120,000
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The Bert is due to be made available for purchase in early 2020 starting at €120,000
The Bert is influenced by Minions characters and Sesame Street
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The Bert is influenced by Minions characters and Sesame Street
The Bert will feature a rooftop garden
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The Bert will feature a rooftop garden
The Bert was designed for a company called Baumbau, which is a start-up that specializes in tiny homes and treehouses for alternative tourism
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The Bert was designed for a company called Baumbau, which is a start-up that specializes in tiny homes and treehouses for alternative tourism
The Bert will feature a vertical tower-like design that is made from wood as standard but can also be made from steel
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The Bert will feature a vertical tower-like design that is made from wood as standard but can also be made from steel
The Bert will be able to run off-the-grid with solar power and composting toilet
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The Bert will be able to run off-the-grid with solar power and composting toilet
The Bert will have a small balcony area
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The Bert will have a small balcony area
The Bert will have oversized porthole-style windows
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The Bert will have oversized porthole-style windows
The Bert is due to be constructed in 2020
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The Bert is due to be constructed in 2020
The Bert will have what is described as a cave-like interior by Studio Precht
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The Bert will have what is described as a cave-like interior by Studio Precht
Architectural model of the Bert
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Architectural model of the Bert 
Architectural model of the Bert modules
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Architectural model of the Bert modules
Architectural model of the Bert
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Architectural model of the Bert 
View gallery - 13 images

Studio Precht has designed a flexible and unusual home with its Bert model. The tiny dwelling will be able to run off-the-grid and offer multiple interior layouts. It also draws inspiration from rather unlikely sources: Minions characters and Sesame Street.

The Bert was created for a company called Baumbau, which is a start-up that specializes in tourist-friendly tiny houses and treehouses. It will feature a stacked tower-like design that is made from wood as standard but can also be built using steel. While its circular form, green roof, and leaf-like shingles on the facade make it look more like a tree than a cartoon character to us, the architects clearly took a lighthearted approach to the project.

"We are fully aware that architecture is this serious and profound craft with a long culture and tradition," says Studio Precht. "You see that when we architects find reference for our projects in art, philosophy, literature or nature. For this project, we also looked at art to find reference. But not at Michelangelo or Dali. Rather we looked at cartoon characters of Sesame Street or Minions."

The Bert will have oversized porthole-style windows
The Bert will have oversized porthole-style windows

The ground floor will be accessed by stairs and host a composting toilet and some kind of water treatment system, while the next floor up will have a kitchenette, some seating and a bed. Moving up another level reveals more seating area and a bed, while the uppermost level is a rooftop garden. It also features a small balcony with chairs.

All of this can be changed though as the layout is flexible due to its modular nature.

"The modular system of Bert makes it easy to react to a client's brief in real time," says Studio Precht. "The client informs the architects about the desired program, like bedrooms, kitchen, living room, library and bathroom, after which they can make immediately different variations of arrangements with all necessary information of cost, size, schedule, etc. That gives the clients a certain transparency about things that keep uncertain during a common design process for a long time."

The Bert could be optionally outfitted to run off-the-grid with the composting toilet, as well as solar panels installed either on the roof or nearby.

It's due to be made available for purchase in early 2020 starting at €120,000 (roughly US$137,000).

Sources: Studio Precht, Baumbau

View gallery - 13 images
8 comments
8 comments
minivini
Cool design, out of scale cost. I can’t find a reference to the area, but being referenced as a “Tiny House”, “starting at $137,000” makes it a pretty absurd proposition. Sadly.
flyerfly
This is an old design, I saw it in pets stores many years ago for hamsters and pet mice.
Bill S.
I don't see a lot of these being sold. Pushing a "cave like" feel is something I don't see people flocking too, and best of luck getting the bank to draw up a mortgage for something like this.
Mr T
Aside from the comments here already, it seems maintenance on this thing would be a nightmare...
Signguy
And show me ONE place in the world that would allow this ugly thing in pristine woods....
christopher
You'v got to look at the pictures to understand this - "Modular" is the clever part.
Josh!
Bunch of ol' farts. This thing seems awesome!
Nik
"We are fully aware that architecture is this serious and profound craft with a long culture and tradition," says Studio Precht. "You see that when we architects find reference for our projects in art, philosophy, literature or nature...'' Yeah but objects like this show the true nature of so-called modern architecture, Sewage Pipes stacked on end! As to, ''looking more like a tree,'' if I had a tree that looked like this, it would be well overdue for conversion to firewood.