The ever-growing concerns around housing shortage is a pressing challenge for today’s society. New major projects are continuously being conceptualised, developed and launched in order to gain as much living space as possible as quickly as possible. However, there are also smaller projects and initiatives taking place around the world that deal with the condensing of living space, creating space-saving, inspiring and efficient solutions with sophisticated technology and sustainable construction methods. The so-called Tiny House movement is one of these projects, which is becoming increasingly popular in Germany. The trend, which originates in the USA, seeks to create new individual living solutions, particularly for urban spaces where population density is significantly higher. GROHE has recently come onboard with the project, supporting these forward-thinking spaces with some of its most innovative sanitaryware, which has been designed with minimalist and small spaces in mind.
Project CABIN SPACEY
This year, the first minimal house by CABIN SPACEY (a pioneer of the Tiny House and urban explorer movement) was presented at the Tech Open Air in Berlin – manufactured in the factory of the Allgäu wood brand, VARIAHOME Manufaktur. For the young team of architects led by Andreas Rauch and Simon Becker, the focus was, above all, gaining a new understanding on the subject of living. A minimal house, like that of CABIN SPACEY, offers 25 square meters space for up to two persons. Together with the manufacturer VARIAHOME, architects Rauch and Becker aligned closely with one another in the practical implementation of the house to ensure that each centimetre of space was being used in the most efficient way.
Multi-functional appliance solutions were considered ideal for the project and therefore, when specifying for the kitchen area, the architect team selected the GROHE Red water system which provides filtered kettle hot water directly from the tap. In the bathroom, the Rapido T concealed thermostatic mixer was chosen; a universal fitting that can be used with a shower, bath or central mixer. It was favoured for its minimal profile depth requirements, made possible by a concealed behind-the-wall installation, which leaves optimum space in the shower enclosure and a sleek, minimalist aesthetic. GROHE wall-mounted fittings such as washbasins were also specified to make the functional areas as accessible and spacious as possible. An uncluttered environment is a crucial consideration when developing such a refined space.