The Warming Surfaces Company Oy together with Artic Construction Cluster members are seeking an affordable and sustainable compact building solution that can be implemented in the Nordic countries and globally. Thin and lightweight Halia® heating elements are an optimal choice when targeting energy efficiency and functionality within comfortable living environments.
The Potential of Tiny Houses
Tiny houses have become popular in the post-millennial era, and social media in particular has showcased many individually designed, compact-sized buildings on wheels. These are often tailored to the needs of one person or a young couple and are, unfortunately, rather expensive. Tiny houses has often been referred to as a movement for this visibility among people who were looking for more affordable housing options or an eco-friendly lifestyle.
The objective of the Tiny Home Project is to utilise the potential of compact sized housing and prefabricated construction at an advanced level in northern parts of Sweden, Norway and Finland. The project aims to provide temporary and permanent accommodation for tourism and recreational purposes, as well as meeting the needs of the mining industry and other accommodation requirements, such as those related to national defence or natural disasters.
Halia® radiant warming technology can be integrated into building elements for modular construction, eliminating the need for heavy, space-consuming heaters and offering more design flexibility. The integration of heating using lightweight materials enables the creation of thinner walls, resulting in more efficient and sustainable spaces. Furthermore, this approach reduces energy consumption during daily use and supports a lower CO2 footprint during transportation, representing a significant environmental benefit.
About The TINY HOMES - (Pienet Asuinrakennukset) Project
Lapland University of Applied Sciences, together with Pohjois Suomen Rakennuskluster and Luleå University of Technology's business unit (LTU Business), launched the EU Interreg Aurora program-funded Tiny Homes preparatory project in April 2024. The project will end in September 2024, and during that time a broader EU project application on the topic will be prepared. The goal of the preparatory project is to find out obstacles, limitations and to find solutions for the planned and also larger-scale use of commercialized and reasonably priced small wooden houses in northern Sweden, northern Norway and northern Finland for 1. the use of temporary and also permanent labor, 2. tourism and recreational purposes and 3. others for accommodation purposes, e.g. national defense. The buildings can also be movable, and if necessary partially or completely independent of networks.
At the moment, completed or assembled buildings of 30 m2 - 70 m2 in size are primarily sold to individual customers, but the goal of this project is also to find out the conditions under which it is possible to design functional and, if necessary, flexible entities near employment centers and tourist centers in a cost-effective manner. Alongside the project is the Tiny Village project launched by LTU Business and several municipalities in Norrbotten, northern Sweden, where Tiny Homes solutions suitable for work living and tourism needs are implemented.
In Finland, such solutions also require the cooperation of different parties, such as municipalities and companies, the review and development of zoning and regulations, as well as the integration of technical systems and services into functional and modifiable solutions. Structures and delivery methods as well as building technology must be standardized at least to a certain level, if affordable and functional implementation is sought. The goal is also to find out the export conditions and requirements for, for example, the reconstruction and supplementary construction of crisis areas. In the construction of such areas, services, social and environmental factors must also be taken into account.
The Tiny Homes preparatory project workshop will be held in Rovaniemi on August 28, 2024. All interested parties, representatives of cities and municipalities, companies in the field of construction and building technology, representatives of tourism companies and other employing companies, such as the extractive industry, and organizations are invited to it.
For more information visit Arctic Construction Cluster Finland (Pohjois-Suomen Rakennusklusteri ry): https://www.rakennusklusteri.fi
Halia is a trademark of The Warming Surfaces Company Oy, and a registered trademark within the EU.
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