Project Ö: an eco-friendly retreat in Finnish nature

Finland is the world's happiest place to live for the UN report. The reasons are many and include the most advanced education system, absence of corruption, long life expectancy, excellent social care and a high focus on gender equality. The Scandinavian country is a secular, multicultural, modern and industrial society, but at the same time, it’s a place with a strong bond with nature. Finns are extremely aware of sustainability issues and prefer green housing solutions. The perfect example of this approach is the self-sustaining summer cottage built by Aleksi Hautamaki and Milla Selkimaki on the five-acre island they own on the edge of the Finnish Archipelago National Park.

Project Ö is a small 70m² compound that features two main cabins, a workshop, and a sauna that all sit atop a wooden deck and featured by a covered outdoor space that separates the bedrooms from the living areas. Both buildings have long, narrow shapes, are clad in vertical wooden planks, and topped with gabled roofs, with long eaves and extended gutters. The couple explains that this design solution “pays tribute to traditional Finnish Archipelago aesthetics” and “allows for large window surfaces with varying views”, perfect to enjoy the beautiful sunsets reflecting on the sea. he two designers say that the cabins of the Ö Project can host a maximum of 10 people:

”The vision was to have all things necessary with as little space as possible. All individual spaces have been designed to be as compact as they can be without compromising the functionality and comfort.”

Hautamaki and Selkimaki have designed a totally self-sustaining home: solar panels on the roof provide energy, while sinks and toilets use filtered seawater. The sauna is a must-have in Finland. This time its stove produces hot running water and heating to the floors.