wood + shingle tiny hut built by romanian volunteers encourages locals to immerse in nature

in the old village of arnemis, romania, ‘muma hut’ takes shape as a wooden tiny cabin by wewilder, a WWF lab prototype operating as a social enterprise partnership between WWF romania and local community members. drawing influence from the idea of a childhood treehouse, the structure opens to the lush landscape, inviting visitors to an immersive experience in nature.

photo courtesy of răzvan dima, via wewilder

the idea for wewilder’s ‘muma hut’ was sparked by danu’s dream, a local ranger who hoped to rebuild his childhood treehouse, and was realized when architect miodrag stoianov offered his support to the WWF initiative in the area, where around 80 bison were reintroduced to roam freely in nature. with the help of local volunteers, the small orchard house was constructed during a ‘design+build’ workshop conducted between may and august 2020. active voluntary involvement led community members to believe in their strength and creative potential, while encouraging them to take steps towards sustainable relationships with nature and experience wildlife both outside and inside the cottage. 

photo courtesy of răzvan dima, via wewilder

‘muma hut’ takes shape as a timber frame house built on top of a locust wood structure that serves as the foundation. the roof and the longitudinal facades are covered with traditional, hand-crafted wood shingles by the nephew of an old craftsman. the small facades, interior walls, and floor are finished with wood planks and plywood panels. the walls, roof and floor are insulated with glass wool. 

image courtesy of eduard terschak, via EUmiesaward

the newly constucted project aims to be an example nature driven sustainable development, while it also the prototype for the wewilder village campus. although still in the making, the village is set to include a series of cottages alongside a community space, promoting co-working in nature, a culture of ‘voluntourism’ and a sharing economy. ‘muma hut’ has been nominated for the 2022 EUmiesaward, the european union prize for contemporary architecture. 

image courtesy of eduard terschak, via EUmiesaward

image courtesy of eduard terschak, via EUmiesaward

image courtesy of eduard terschak, via EUmiesaward

image courtesy of eduard terschak, via EUmiesaward

project info: 

name: muma hut
development: wewilder
architect: miodrag stoianov
with the help of: oana, alina, ioan, krisztina, felix, raoul, florin, ioan bușe, joachim, gabi, pepe, maria, dan, bianca, răzvan, vlad, marijus, filip, mr. marcel, maria, mr. iacob, ana, ion, nea ilie, bibi, matei, daniel, king, muma ana
location: armenis, romania