I’ve learned how valuable it can be to get away from it all. Working nonstop can be extremely taxing, so it’s great to be able to go some place where you can relax and not worry about the day-to-day.
Vitra recently teamed up with the Italian architect Renzo Piano to create a “place of retreat” called Diogene.
Diogene (named after the Greek philosopher Diogenes, who chose to live in a barrel) is a wooden hut, designed for single-person house-hold. Its floor plan measures about eight by 10 feet across, allowing just enough room for a bed, chair, and small table.
The cabin is both self-sustaining and mobile and comes tricked out with a more complex system than its monochromatic outside would suggest. Photovoltaic solar cells, a rainwater tank, composting toilets, and an all-natural ventilation system keep the house entirely off the grid.
The simple, archaic house situated in nature already came back in trend for use in natural catastrophes or in war-torn areas of the world.
Yet now, also the economical downturn has been one of the biggest catalysts behind the small home movement, as many people are facing challenges in housing and affording houses.
The “micro-homes” are appealing to people who want to pare down their lives in every way. Allot of retired people are looking at tiny homes as a way to downsize and younger people are interested in it as a way to get a foothold on homeownership.
Small homes not only cost less “It’s an empowering movement.”

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Vitra Campus Renzo Piano Pavillion

Vitra Campus Renzo Piano Pavillion

Vitra Campus Renzo Piano Pavillion

Vitra Campus Renzo Piano Pavillion