LAB #4(43) 2008

project _ LAB

The project of a detached small-area house was not just brought about by the customers and location re- quirements, but is also the result of Rintala’s thinking about the culture of a habitat. Construction activities today consume more than a third of energy needs and materials with a lion’s share of all transportation. This issue is even more important in Scandinavia, where high household income led to the fact that a family often has more than one house. Boxhome solves the problem: within an area of only 19 square meters there are 4 rooms with different functions, serving all the person’s needs: Kitchen and dining area, bathroom, living room and bedroom. The architect emphasizes the fact that it is a prototype and any other rooms can be added to it, including kid’s room and workplace. But, anyway, the main emphasis is on space, material and lighting. Cut- ting off excessive areas, Rintala does not break the interior: he structures it. It is rightly said that excess depraves but only shortage can give true freedom. And the result is, in fact, pretty impressive: a wooden city cave surfaced with glass and metal with an almost country house toilet appeared as a result of manipulations. However, the main achievement of the author is provocation. This tiny house stands not on the bank of the river in a forest, but on a busy city street with mums with carriages walking by instead of deer with shaggy tongues. But if you are inside, it seems that you can see the sky, the water or everything else you would ever want from the window. And this magic of possibility really creates the spirit of the house – a place where everything the heart desires may happen.

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№4 _ 43 _ 2008