Minimal, smart and sustainable: the concept of the nomadic architecture Tiny house Yurt

A Tiny House in the heart of the Dutch dunes

At the Kennemer Duincamping Bakkum campsite, just a few kilometers from Amsterdam, every autumn the mobile homes are removed to restore the natural landscape to the dunes.
In this context, cc-studio was commissioned to design a 30 m² Tiny House to replace an old steel camper, integrating views towards the coastal dunes into the project.

Having experienced firsthand the thermal discomfort of the existing camper during a scorching summer, the team conceived a building with a breathable envelope, in harmony with the physiology of the human body: an architecture that “breathes”, as comfortable as cotton or Gore-Tex.

Inspiration: the Yurt and the breathable envelope

The project is inspired by the Yurt (or Ger) of Central Asia, an ancient nomadic structure over two thousand years old. These lightweight and efficient dwellings are made of wooden lattices covered with sheep felt. To reinterpret this model in a contemporary way, two adaptations were crucial:
Waterproofing: the traditional lanolin-soaked felt has been replaced by a transparent ETFE film, laid in breathable horizontal bands, resembling scales.
Protection from rodents: a fine mesh stainless steel net, 50% breathable, protects the felt from rodent attacks.

The result is an envelope that combines the silky sheen of steel with the reflections of ETFE, revealing the underlying lattice wooden structure.

Constructive efficiency and lightness

To build the entire structure, 500 profiles of 2.2 m French beech wood (AAA 26x24 mm) were used, joined together with comb joints. The same grids form the walls, roof, and floor.

The insulation combines two materials:

• Metisse, a sound-absorbing wool made from recycled jeans.
• PIR panels, lightweight yet rigid, allowing the use of thin 6 mm poplar plywood panels.

The large panoramic windows are also made of pretensioned ETFE, inserted in lightweight aluminum frames: a choice that has allowed to reduce weight and costs compared to tempered glass. The entire structure remains under 3500 kg, compatible with a standard Tiny House trailer. To ensure stability against strong coastal winds, water tanks have been integrated at the base of the frame.

Merging aesthetics, comfort, and sustainability

The double wedge shape of the building visually separates the sleeping area from the living area, allowing for the stacking of bedrooms and creating a private space for children. The increased internal height promotes natural ventilation, preventing heat buildup.

The small roof windows help reduce thermal load and provide an opportunity for the inclusion of mirrors, a distinctive element in various architectural projects by cc-studio. The reflections amplify the space and offer a shared view of the dunes.

Lastly, the translucency of the wool walls recalls the play of light in medieval churches of Southern Europe, where mica glass or thin marble was used to diffuse light in a poetic and natural way.