MINIKIN house
The idea for the MINIKIN house model was born from the architect’s own personal need to create a distinctive yet simple-to-build and easy-to-install compact home that offers all the essential functions for everyday living within a minimal footprint.
Ancient wisdom says: "build your first house for your enemy, your second for your friend, and your third for yourself." Architect Mari Hunt describes the story behind the house:
The third house came about thanks to an especially enthusiastic client whose belief in the Minikin concept was so strong that it encouraged us to develop an even better solution, building on the strengths of the previous versions. This resulted in the third version of Minikin—a cosy one-and-a-half-storey house nestled in a pine forest. Interior architect Ines Haak also joined the process, and her sense of materials and clever ideas made the final result even stronger.I did exactly the opposite. I built my first house for myself in 2018. I went through all the successes and mistakes and learned what works and what doesn’t. At the same time, I started designing a house for my friend: about ten square metres larger, with the entrance in a different location and a bigger mezzanine. Together with the factory, we tested transporting the house to the site in two sections, redesigned the bathroom layout, added a fireplace in the corner window, a large dormer on the second floor, and more.
The building is designed with a building footprint of up to 20 m². Designing such a compact space required architecture and interior architecture to be closely integrated. The design process worked both from the inside out and the outside in: the overall dimensions of the building were determined by the size of the essential interior functions. Every element—from the kitchen and entrance to the bathroom and staircase—was positioned with millimetre precision.
The ground floor provides approximately 17 m² of usable space. It includes a spacious, high-ceilinged living area with a kitchenette, while the lower section contains a bathroom with a sink, shower, and washing machine, as well as a walk-in wardrobe. A cosy corner fireplace in the living room allows you to enjoy both the warmth of the fire and the surrounding pine trees and blueberry bushes. Thanks to the large glazed surfaces, the outdoor space becomes a natural extension of the interior. The upper floor features a 1.6-metre-wide sleeping loft, accessed by an open folded-sheet-metal staircase.
A large terrace in front of the house serves as a second living room. During the warmer months, it becomes an outdoor space for relaxing on the sofa or cooking in the outdoor kitchen. Both the façade and the terrace are clad in thermally treated pine, while the windows and doors feature slim-profile aluminium frames.
When placing the house in the landscape, great care was taken to preserve all the existing mature pine trees, positioning the building precisely between them.
Architecture: Mari Hunt
Interior architecture: Ines Haak and Mari Hunt
Builder: Minikin Living
Photos: Maria Ilves and Terje Ugandi
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