Majamaja Wuorio Eco-Cabin / Littow Architectes

Curated by Paula Pintos

Architects: Littow Architectes
Area: 23 m²
Year: 2020
Photographs:Marc Goodwin

Text description provided by the architects. Majamaja is a housing unit that operates fully off-the-grid. The unit is prefabricated, transportable, and can be assembled in the most isolated of places. This solution is built around a patented technology module with green energy storage and a closed-circuit wastewater treatment system. The unit is scalable and can be dismantled and moved to new sites.

The first Majamaja off-grid village development project is now underway in Helsinki and Majamaja will open the pilot designer cabins accessible for short-term rentals in 2021. Additionally, Majamaja is expanding internationally, working with owners and developers on a sustainable off-grid village project in France.

For Pekka Littow, the Finnish architect based in Paris who initiated the concept, The Majamaja concept is driven by the need to radically rethink and minimize our environmental impact on the environment. And to show how small scale architecture and small scale technology can replace big volumes and vulnerable centralized grid systems.. This project is inspired by life in the Finnish archipelago, its traditional habitat, its human-sized buildings, and its way of life in which man is in harmony with nature. In accordance with these principles, the project is intended to be global.

Majamaja is committed to sustainable spatial planning projects with light infrastructure. The self-contained unit prevents environmental damage caused by pre-construction work, including connecting to potable water systems, sewers, or road construction.

The units are built from prefabricated wood elements that can be assembled without the need for heavy construction equipment, which allows an installation in the most isolated environments. Multiple units can be assembled to create larger sets. The units can also be disassembled and moved as needed.

Majamaja Wuorio Eco-Cabin / Littow Architectes - Exterior Photography, Facade — © Marc Goodwin

The water autonomy is based on the collection of rainwater and greywater filtered by a purification system. The system operates in a closed circuit where all greywater is collected and recycled, and nothing is discharged to nature. The waste from the dry toilets is composted and reused as fertilizer.

Majamaja uses off-grid technologies for energy storage. The energy is provided by solar panels and a fuel cell. A high-performance battery powers the filter system and the basic electrical equipment, which includes a light, refrigerator, microwave, and an optional TV or air conditioning. The building is heated by non-polluting natural gas. The long-term goal is to make an example solution for all future housing solutions.