You could be forgiven for assuming that the Casa Ojalá tiny house concept we covered last year was too ambitious to actually be realized, but a prototype is indeed being built and readied for production. Some additional details on the flexible tiny house have been made available and pre-orders are now open.
To recap, Casa Ojalá is an attractive (non-towable) tiny house designed by architect Beatrice Bonzanigo that features a small 27-sq-m (290-sq-ft) footprint. Its big selling point is its flexibility, which will allow the dwelling to be configured into lots of different variations (the press release actually says a thousand) and it's also being promoted as suitable for glamping, hotels, and more.
Its interior will include a main living space, a primary bedroom with a double bed and a secondary bedroom with a single bed, plus a bathtub and sunken toilet area, and a rooftop terrace that’s reached by a ladder inside. Using a system of pulleys and cranks, the occupant will be able to arrange a complex array of wooden and fabric sliding walls to turn a living room into an extension of the bathroom, or to open up the entire home to the outside, for example. Built-in furniture like the wardrobe or bedside table will be also be movable, so the user can pull them out for use or keep them hidden away under the floor.
There are obvious potential issues with the design, like the need to constantly move stuff around becoming an annoyance and maintenance worries if the pulley system breaks down over time, but it’s a novel idea and it’ll be interesting to see it finished in the coming months.
Casa Ojalá will be able to run off-the-grid with a solar power system, rainwater collection system, and greywater recycling system. Heating comes from a bio-ethanol stove, though the team cautions that the dwelling is best suited to mild climates – a Minimaliste tiny house it is not. Additionally, with it being a prefabricated project it’s also very customizable and can come in lots of different colors and materials.
The first prototype model is now under construction and deliveries worldwide are expected for the end of 2020, though with all the COVID-19-related disruptions to manufacturing and shipping at the moment, we wouldn’t be at all surprised if this was pushed back. We’ve no word on an expected price, but those interested can get in touch with the firm and make what it calls a “small refundable deposit.”
Source: Casa Ojalá