aVOID: Tiny House by Leonardo di Chiara

With aVOID, a prototype of a miniature house, recent architecture graduate Leonardo di Chiara has designed his first building. Characterized by experiences from his childhood and inspired by boat building, the Italian architect has succeeded in meeting all the requirements of everyday life over a small area of 8 sqm.

In cooperation with Tiny House University and with the support of Italian and German enterprises, it was possible to complete the aVOID house within three months. In both the functional and physiological sense, the house embodies the concept of emptiness. Only the grey surfaces of the walls zone the free space of 6 x 2.5 m. While the sterile atmosphere prevents any kind of visual distraction, it has a positive effect on the architect’s behaviour. The space encourages Leonardo di Chiara to focus on the essentials and serves as a source of creativity.

At the same time, the simple design of the elongated interior space represents a figurative corridor – a metaphor for mobility, both of the entire house and inside the space. Hitching the module to a trailer makes the inhabitant a modern nomad. Clever folding mechanisms integrated into the furniture concept allow the house, which consists of a single room, many different possibilities for everyday use. A bed appears, as do seating for up to four people, a table, a kitchenette and a wetroom. In contrast to the sober ambience of the house in its original state, the fittings – once set up – overcome the emptiness and add cosiness to the tiny house with their warm wood texture.

The literal high point is located just under 4 metres up: thanks to a ladder stowed inside the wall, the inhabitant can climb through a window onto the top of the house and gaze at the view on a lounge chair created by the slope of the roof.