In Haanja, Estonia, the first prototype of a nature holiday home has been completed on behalf of Olela Nature Accommodation. This is the first in what is planned to be a series of 8 modular homes placed directly in nature. The building is clad in Platowood Spruce, which defines its appearance. The principle guiding the design and installation of these off-grid homes: minimize impact on the environment and surrounding landscape.
Both the design and carefully chosen location of the house leave ample space for nature. Sustainable materials are paired with advanced technological solutions. For both the roof and façade cladding, untreated Platowood Spruce was chosen. Platowood wood is 100% circular, making it a perfect match for Olela’s vision. Large windows and the adjoining terrace ensure close and continuous contact with nature.
Olela on the first holiday home:
“We are incredibly happy with the choices we made for the prototype. We chose Platowood cladding because we wanted a natural, raw aesthetic, and because we were looking for a material that is both durable and long-lasting. We’re already seeing the wood begin to grey—thankfully, without any other changes. We definitely plan to use Platowood again for the additional homes we’ll build.”
Olela’s nature homes are part of a broader innovation in timber housing construction, where modular building elements are used for everything from small homes to timber-framed buildings up to seven stories tall. This method saves time and significantly reduces material consumption. Since each home can be fully relocated and only temporarily ‘borrows’ space from the environment, Olela ensures a minimal ecological footprint.
Olela does not build the homes themselves but is actively involved in the design and planning phases, as off-grid living demands attention to many technical details. The first home was realized in collaboration with Harmet Modular Houses.
