Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

The Ursa Off-Grid Tiny Cabin Is as Sustainable as It Is Stylish

The Ursa Off-Grid Tiny Cabin Is as Sustainable as It Is Stylish

Inspired by the idea of a living organism, Madeiguincho designed a 188-square-foot cabin that collects, stores, and reuses rainwater and produces food and energy.

When Gonçalo Marrote, João Filipe, and Pedro Paredes of Portugal-based architecture and woodworking studio Madeiguincho designed and built this 195-square-foot cabin in Lisbon, they had utopian ideals in mind. "We wanted to reimagine the typical way people live in contemporary society, so we envisioned a new type of dwelling that’s mobile, efficient, clean, and beautiful," Marrote says.



Located in Lisbon, Portugal, the Ursa tiny cabin is wrapped in vertical Thermowood boards.



A large, oval window extends from the facade to the ceiling, flooding the cabin with sunlight and providing views of the land and the sky.

Inspired by the concept of a living organism, Marrote and his team designed the Ursa tiny house on wheels to be as sustainable as it is artful. Clad in caramel-colored wood siding with a massive oval window, the off-grid structure collects, stores, and reuses rainwater, produces food and energy, and is powered by photovoltaic panels and wind turbines.



The oval window lends an artful aesthetic to the tiny cabin on wheels.

The cabin channels rainwater from its roof to a particle filter and then two large water tanks that can store a total of 650 liters. A pressurized system pumps water to the kitchen sink, the bathroom sinks, and the shower. A three-stage, reverse-osmosis filter beneath the kitchen sink provides drinking water. "Following use, all water is stored in a tank and later reused for watering plants," Marrote says.



The interior of the cabin is outfitted with an open kitchen and a living space that converts to a sleeping area. Birch plywood wraps the interior, lending warmth and texture.

The tiny cabin can accommodate up to four people, and it features two sleeping areas, a workstation, a kitchen, a full bathroom, and a terrace. The kitchen water pump, refrigerator, and glass-ceramic cooktop are powered by five solar panels installed on the south-facing roof. The photovoltaics can be adjusted to a 30% incline that maximizes energy production throughout the year. "To close the off-grid cycle, we installed an electric dry toilet that produces compost," Marrote says. "It’s a mobile shelter that collects water and produces both energy and food."



The daybed in the living area converts to a bed that sleeps two at night.

At 188 square feet, Ursa is the largest of Madeiguincho’s tiny cabins, which also include the 107-square foot Guincho and the 134-square-foot Abano. All three cabins are wrapped in Thermowood cladding and feature plywood interiors. "The birch plywood is simple, minimalistic, and no-frills," Marrote says.



Vertical Thermowood shutters can be opened or closed, offering connection to the landscape or privacy when needed.

The design team was inspired by portholes when they created the massive oval-shape window. "This was the starting point," Marrote says. "Then we decided the window should continue from the facade to the roof, allowing residents to be constantly connected to the ocean, the stars, and the sky."



When the shutters are open, the interior of the tiny cabin feels connected to the landscape via the large glass doors in the kitchen area.

The aperture-like window brightens up the interior, but shutters can darken and close off the tiny home when residents desire privacy. "We designed this cabin with the possibility of being completely closed or open, and connected with the natural surroundings through the big oval window," Marrote says.



The bathroom is finished with a birch plywood ceiling, and Thermowood makes up the walls and the flooring in the wet areas. Brass fixtures contrast with the wood and add a touch of glam.

According to Marrote, compact residences like Ursa are here to stay. "The tiny home movement is going to last," the architect says. "The idea that we don’t need many things to live a quality life-and that we can do it with a smaller footprint-is changing the paradigm of construction, and making us rethink the way we live. Structures like Ursa help people disconnect from daily life and connect with nature. And in today’s housing market, they make it possible for people to buy a house without a mortgage or a loan that takes a lifetime to pay."



Rooftop solar panels produce energy for the tiny cabin, which features a large wood deck at its front facade.



In the evening, warm light shines through the oval window and the large glass doors, creating a lantern-like effect.

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán stated that Hungary will not adopt the euro because the European Union is falling apart.
Mayor in western Germany in intensive care after stabbing
Australian government pays Deloitte nearly half a million dollars for a report built on fabricated quotes, fake citations, and AI-generated nonsense.
BYD’s UK Sales Soar Nearly Nine-Fold, Making Britain Its Biggest Market Outside China
Latvia to Bar Tourist and Occasional Buses to Russia and Belarus Until 2026
Wave of Complaints Against Apple Over iPhone 17 Pro’s Scratch Sensitivity
Munich Airport Reopens After Second Drone Shutdown
Pro Europe and Anti-War Babiš Poised to Return to Power After Czech Parliamentary Vote
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Sentenced to Fifty Months in Prison Following Prostitution Conviction
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Russian Research Vessel 'Yantar' Tracked Mapping Europe’s Subsea Cables, Raising Security Alarms
Global Cruise Industry Posts Dramatic Comeback with 34.6 Million Passengers in 2024
U.S. Demands Brussels Scrutinize Digital Rules to Prevent Bias Against American Tech
Private Equity’s Fundraising Surge Triggers Concern of European Market Shake-Out
Tokyo’s Jimbōchō Named World’s Coolest Neighbourhood for 2025
European Officials Fear Trump May Shift Blame for Ukraine War onto EU
The Personality Rights Challenge in India’s AI Era
Italy Considers Freezing Retirement Age at 67 to Avert Scheduled Hike
Italian City to Impose Tax on Visiting Dogs Starting in 2026
Study Finds No Safe Level of Alcohol for Dementia Risk
Trump Says Ukraine Can Fully Restore Borders with NATO Backing
Europe Signals Stronger Support for Taiwan at Major Taipei Defence Show
Germany Weighs Excluding France from Key European Fighter Jet Programme
Cyberattack Disrupts Check-in and Boarding Systems at Major European Airports
Björn Borg Breaks Silence: Memoir Reveals Addiction, Shame and Cancer Battle
When Extremism Hijacks Idealism: How the Baader-Meinhof Gang Emerged and Fell
JWST Data Brings TRAPPIST-1e Closer to Earth-Like Habitability
Trump Orders $100,000 Fee on H-1B Visas and Launches ‘Gold Card’ Immigration Pathway
France’s Looming Budget Crisis and Political Fracture Raise Fears of Becoming Europe’s “Sick Man”
Three Russian MiG-31 Jets Breach Estonian Airspace in ‘Unprecedentedly Brazen’ NATO Incident
European manufacturers against ban on polluting cars: "The industry may collapse"
Turkish car manufacturer Togg Enters German Market with 5-Star Electric Sedan and SUV to Challenge European EV Brands
Christian Brueckner Released from German Prison after Serving Unrelated Sentence
World’s Longest Direct Flight China Eastern to Launch 29-Hour Shanghai–Buenos Aires Direct Flight via Auckland in December
New OpenAI Study Finds Majority of ChatGPT Use Is Personal, Not Professional
The conservative right spreads westward: a huge achievement for 'Alternative for Germany' in local elections
Pope Leo Warns of Societal Crisis Over Mega-CEO Pay, Citing Tesla’s Proposed Trillion-Dollar Package
Poland Green-Lights NATO Deployment in Response to Major Russian Drone Incursion
U.S. and China Agree on Framework to Shift TikTok to American Ownership
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
×