strawmodul designs eco-friendly tiny modular houses in russia

russian design firm strawmodul has created a series of tiny modular residences that can be built by stages, to expand to the desired size by joining different modules that stand any climate. the smallest module in the lineup is the module s22, which is the first built prototype of the series. as said in its name, the house module is 22 sqm (237 sqft) and has the option to expand up to 100 sqm (1076 sqft), creating multiple residence configurations to suit the user’s needs. the built sample is located in the rocky coast of crimea, russia.

all images © ilya shevchenko

the first module includes all the areas a user may need in a living space. the first floor hosts an entry hall and bathroom that includes a washing machine and the second floor has a more quiet bedroom. the house also has an optional terrace console, which in crimea looks out from the dense site vegetation to reveal unexpected inaccessible views from the coast. each window frames a different view of the mountains on the left and sunrises on the right. the main facade’s wide window faces the terrace, creating privacy for the users. the deck’s flooring can close the glazed facade, by folding it upwards to cover the window. the pieces are bought as a ‘kit’ from the designers, and the house can be built in 2-3 days.

the project’s load bearing walls are erected with pre-fabricated straw panels. straw bales are pressed into a strong wooden frame providing rigid structural support. the straw panel’s thickness is 200-400mm (8-16 inches). it exceeds heat-insulating indicators of wooden walls more than twice, and more than three times that of brick walls. according to the material’s characteristics, the house fits into the european standard of passive houses.

exposed glazing and habitable deck 

this microhouse is an environmentally conscious construction. the pressed straw’s manufacturing is eco-friendly since its production does not leave construction waste. pressed straw does not burn or emit harmful substances. the house is also equipped with solar panels that provide from 70 to 100% of the consumed energy. the sewage system is autonomous, as it is not connected to a centralized sewage collector due to the nature of the house’s modularity, making it easy to build in any terrain. 

covered glazing with deck flooring 

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: cristina gomez | designboom