Tiny Houses

Koleliba: The tiny vacation home on wheels

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Inside, there's just 9 sq m (96 sq ft) available, so space is obviously tight
Deyan Tomov photography
Koleliba measures just 2.3 x 7 m (7.5 x 22 ft)
Deyan Tomov photography
Hristova added a removable awning/canopy, a small decking area, and a collapsible bench and outdoor kitchen setup
Deyan Tomov photography
The tiny vacation home measures 2.4 m (7.9 ft) at its highest point
Deyan Tomov photography
"As the main goal of this project was to make us spend more time outside and make up for the murky, rainy, winter days in the office we made the exterior a natural continuation of the interior," explains Hristova
Deyan Tomov photography
Koleliba is built entirely from timber, with rockwool insulation and Bulgarian pine cladding
Deyan Tomov photography
The furniture and some of the interior walls are made from birch plywood, and both plywood and timber are oiled with an Osmo protective coating
Deyan Tomov photography
There's plenty of natural light inside thanks to the full-height windows
Deyan Tomov photography
As anyone who's camped in a small van will tell you, a semi-outdoor living area makes life much easier
Deyan Tomov photography
Koleliba is a made-up word which roughly translates as tiny house with wheels
Deyan Tomov photography
Inside, there's just 9 sq m (96 sq ft) available, so space is obviously tight
Deyan Tomov photography
The canopy can be pitched when required
Deyan Tomov photography
The tiny vacation home measures 2.4 m (7.9 ft) at its highest point
Deyan Tomov photography
It's definitely a functional vacation house
Deyan Tomov photography
The interior includes a sofa bed, an oven and fridge freezer, a boiler, a toilet, and a kitchenette
Deyan Tomov photography
Looking inside from the toilet area (not pictured)
Deyan Tomov photography
The kitchenette area
Deyan Tomov photography
The kitchenette area
Deyan Tomov photography
The sofa turns into a generous double bed
Deyan Tomov photography
The sofa turns into a generous double bed
Deyan Tomov photography
Deyan Tomov photography
Another view of the sofa bed
Deyan Tomov photography
View from the sofa bed toward the kitchenette and toilet (not pictured)
Deyan Tomov photography
Outside the Koleliba
Deyan Tomov photography
View gallery - 23 images

Bulgarian architect Hristina Hristova wanted to be able to take her young family on vacation without staying in hotel resorts or buying an expensive and immovable holiday home. After giving it some thought, a plan was hatched to build the Koleliba: a coined term which she translates as "tiny house with wheels."

The trailer-based Koleliba measures just 2.3 x 7 m (7.5 x 22 ft), and is 2.4 m (7.9 ft) at its highest point. There's only a total of 9 sq m (96 sq ft) of floor space available inside, so space is obviously tight, but it's definitely a workable vacation home for a small family. The well-stocked interior includes a sofa bed, an oven and fridge/freezer, a boiler, a toilet, and a kitchenette.

As this veteran of camping in a small van for days at a time can attest, a semi-outdoor living area can make life much easier. With this in mind, Hristova sensibly added a removable awning/canopy, a small decking area, and a collapsible bench and outdoor kitchen setup for cooking outside.

As anyone who's camped in a small van will tell you, a semi-outdoor living area makes life much easier
Deyan Tomov photography

"As the main goal of this project was to make us spend more time outside and make up for the murky, rainy, winter days in the office we made the exterior a natural continuation of the interior," explains Hristova. "A big bench spanning across the main facade made enough space for our dear friends coming to visit. Under the canopy we spent long afternoons drinking chilled wine. And as the Bulgarian traditions demand, often our afternoon wine turned into long dinners with sea food and light music."

Koleliba is built from timber, with rockwool insulation and Bulgarian pine cladding. The furniture, some interior walls and floor are made from birch plywood, and both plywood and timber are oiled with an Osmo protective coating. There's plenty of natural light inside thanks to the full-height windows.

As of writing, we're awaiting confirmation from Hristova, but we'd guess electricity comes from a standard hookup.

Source: Hristina Hristova

View gallery - 23 images
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3 comments
Scion
Congratulations, you've invented.... the caravan. Traditionally, caravans are clad in very rugged, enduring and light weight materials like aluminium or plastic. It would be interesting to see how well timber cladding stands up to transport, storage and weight restrictions. I've often thought the basic caravan would be more comfortable with better insulation and a more organic feel.
nicho
"the Koleliba: a coined term which she translates as "tiny house with wheels." So, a Caravan ...
Nik
It looks like a converted chicken hut, and will have all the aerodynamics of a very large brick. Towing it with any car in a strong headwind, is likely to be near impossible, and a strong sidewind could prove highly hazardous. Add to that a hail storm, and those large areas of glass could prove highly vulnerable if travelling on the road at the time. Best advice, park it in the garden and keep chickens in it.