Finnish designers Aleksi Hautamäki and Milla Selkimaki are making a dream into reality. They have just completed stage one of a two-phase project they are calling Project Ö – which consists of a workshop, sauna, and living quarters… and here’s the best part… on their own private island! Oh yeah, and it’s all self-sustaining… the icing on the cake!
The couple spent five years on a hunt for the perfect island. Then one day, they found it for sale – a 200 m by 100 m (656 ft by 328 ft) triangular island located at the edge of the Archipelago National Park in Southwest Finland – and they immediately bought it. Since then, they’ve built two off-grid cabins.
Hautamäki and Selkimaki said:
“After 5 years of intensive searching, a perfect little island is found. The island itself is completely untouched and intact, there has never been any habitation. It’s allowed to build 400 sq m [4,305 sq ft] on the island with strict rules on the dimensions from the shoreline and between the buildings.”
The landscape’s rocky condition was a bit of a challenge in addition to the codes and regulations. So, in order to get the ball rolling, they broke the project up into phases. The first phase was a design for two self-sustaining timber dwellings that incorporate comfortable interior and outdoor living zones, a sauna, and a workshop. That is now complete.
Phase two will see the completion of the main house, which will be built on the middle claw of the island. That phase is planned for the coming years. You can follow the project on their website.
Features And Aesthetic
Access to these dwellings, which are beautifully embedded into the rocky foundation, is along a series of wooden steps and walkways. The interiors were intentionally kept simple and functional. To fully appreciate and take advantage of the stunning views of the surrounding landscape and sea, there are large floor-to-ceiling glass windows throughout both cabins.
Cabin 1
A 45-sq m (484-sq ft) guest house, complete with a living area, a modern European kitchen, master bedroom, traditional Finnish sauna, and washroom. The main living zone is designed around a large black wood-burning stove – it’s the heart of the home.
There is also an additional exterior living space equipped with an outdoor kitchen and dining area.
Cabin 2
A 25-sq m (269-sq ft) workshop includes a compact technical shed at one end and an impressive workshop with ample storage at the other.
The structure also incorporates an outdoor space in case more workspace is needed – or to provide access for larger machinery if required.
Structure
The structures make reference to the traditional Finnish archipelago aesthetics, with gabled roofs, deep eaves, extended gutters, and vertical timber cladding. Both cabins are built with a timber frame that is hidden with a cladding of vertical timber panels to allow for more flexibility with the interior walling and overall interior design. All decking is wooden as well.
The shape of the cabins is long and narrow to allow for the large glazed surfaces that provide 360-degree views of the pristine landscape. The length also allows for very different types of functions (at opposite ends of the building) to take place at the same time without interference. For example, children sleeping on one end while the parents are having sunset drinks with friends on the other.
The cabins can accommodate up to 10 people.
Off-The-Grid
The cabins had to be 100% self-sufficient because the location of the island is remote and completely detached from the mainland – there was no power or water source available.
For power: Roof-top solar panels were incorporated as part of the design to power both cabins. A constant supply of electricity is generated through six 260-watt solar panels, coupled with eight 605 Ah (6V) batteries. There is a backup combustion engine generator in case the battery level drops too low. It is programmed to turn on whenever the level drops below a certain point.
For water: A SolaRO Mini 150 water filtration system was installed, which allows 100 liters (26.4 gallons) of water per hour to be purified from the Baltic Sea. The filtered water is stored and used for all the island’s water needs. The sauna’s stove produces the hot running water for sinks and showers, and it also provides heating to the floors throughout both cabins.
Take-Away
This wonderful project only goes to show that it is completely possible and simple to live a more sustainable lifestyle. It only requires that the initial planning incorporates environmental thinking. Seeing how everyday people are able to live off-the-grid goes to show that, as long as everything in the world from here on out can be created with the intention of being self-sufficient and part of a closed-loop system, we should be able to meet (and surpass) all goals made to tackle the climate crisis!
