Words Leo Bear

Photography Thomas Loof

In a world where bigger, faster and louder is so often the way, the Danish architect and designer Søren Rose is a breath of fresh air. Focusing on style, sustainability and a restrained breed of Scandinavian minimalism that projects maximum wow factor, he’s responsible for some of the most celebrated interiors from New York to Copenhagen. His latest architectural venture ‘Klein’ started life in 2017 and is set to be his most innovative yet. Like his design approach, the premise is one of bold simplicity: a diverse range of ‘tiny houses’ created by the world’s leading architects.

Calling on his friend of 20 years and fellow Danish architect, Bjarke Ingels, the first Tiny House prototype is currently on the market – available to view in New York. The A45 home by BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group) measures just 180 square feet and is a masterclass in Scandinavian modernism. From certain angles it looks like a cube, while from others it resembles a soaring spire. The living area is contained within a classic 45-degree ‘A’ frame with space enough for a kitchen, living–dining room with wood-burning stove, bathroom and lofted chill-out area. Cork-lined walls provide natural insulation, floors are swathed in Douglas fir, and, with a cascade of glass down one full side, there’s no shortage of light. Constructed from outdoor canvas stretched over a timber frame, each Tiny House arrives flatpacked and fully equipped according to the owner’s tastes and requirements. Yours for approximately $100,000.

It was important to Rose that the foundations of the A45 – the bare bones – were of the highest quality available, and for all the kitchen appliances Gagganau was the obvious choice. Since founding his empire in 2009, Rose has relied exclusively on Gaggenau for every single one of his highend residential projects. ‘Functionality was key’, he explains. ‘We didn’t want our clients to be limited in any way by the size of the kitchen in the Tiny House. We wanted to give them the best appliances possible.’

Small in scale but limitless in possibilities, is how Rose sees things. ‘We’ve set out on a journey to solve tiny living’ he says. ‘It’s inevitable that people in the future will have to sacrifice the size of their primary home, and we are taking tiny living very seriously. We believe it can solve many challenges both in infrastructure and sustainability.’

For the time being, Tiny Houses offer a solution for those who can’t afford to get on the property ladder – a chance to make an investment and start building equity, as well as offering urbanites, the opportunity to purchase a second home in the countryside. Powered entirely by solar panels, the A45 can operate off-grid, anywhere in the world.

The A45 Klein has come at the right time, that’s for sure. It couldn’t be more in line the current vogue for environmentally conscious design, downsizing and living off-grid. But keeping up with the trends was never Rose nor Ingels’ intention. It was their mutual love of the great outdoors is that fuelled their passion with the seed of the idea sewn on a roadtrip the pair took to the Catskill Mountains. ‘We looked around and said to one another, when you go into the woods, you actually want to get into the woods’, reflects Ingels, ‘and because of the tiny house’s limited size, you’re forced to get outside. In many ways, it’s the anti-country house...’

Tempted to buy one? You’ll have to get in line. There’s already a six-month wait on pre-existing orders.