In other articles we have explored the Features and types of eco-friendly houses, highlighting how these homes can reduce the environmental impact of our daily activities at home. They achieve this through the materials used in its construction, the orientation and Meeting structure, ensuring remarkable efficiency.
Now, with the project “In My Backyard”France is going one step further, offering a humanitarian and sustainable solution to the refugee crisis.
The first ecological tiny house for refugees
The “In my Backyard” project proposes a Ecological, removable and transportable tiny house, designed by four Spanish architects trained at the University of Alcalá de Henares, in collaboration with the Quatorze association. The first tiny houses are destined for Paris, where they will be installed in the gardens of volunteer families who wish to hosting refugees and asylum seekers.
The project was awarded the first honorable mention in the international social architecture competition “From Border to Home”, held in Helsinki. Its main objective is not only to offer temporary shelter, but also facilitate social integration and combat exclusion.
The first installation of one of these tiny houses will take place in the garden of a couple in Montreuil, a town near Paris. Both hosts and refugees can live on the same property without losing their privacy, as the tiny house is designed to comfortably accommodate a couple of people.
A sustainable architectural model
El The price of these tiny houses is around 20.000 euros., funded through crowdfunding. Neither hosts nor refugees have to pay for the installation or maintenance of the homes. The tiny houses are built with a sustainable approach, using local and ecological materials, which reduces transportation costs and emissions.
The main structure is made with sustainable wood, such as Douglas fir, very popular in France due to its durability and low environmental impact. Furthermore, the thermal insulation of these tiny houses is achieved with cardboard, a very efficient material thanks to its two layers and a corrugated inner layer, which form an air chamber that provides one of the higher levels of isolation in the construction.
Tiny houses are designed not only to maintain a low carbon footprint, but also to provide a Thermal comfort optimal, ensuring that living conditions are not compromised during the different seasons of the year.
Additional Features and Benefits
The homes have been designed to have all the elements necessary for daily life, including a kitchen, a bathroom with shower, and a loft-bedroom with space for a double bed or two single beds. In addition, the compact and efficient layout of the Sqm 20 allows refugees to have a decent living space, respecting their privacy and that of their hosts.
Despite their current budget constraints, the tiny houses are designed to integrate solar panels and water recycling systems, which in the long term could reduce resource consumption by a 80%Although these systems are not implemented in the first houses due to economic restrictions, they remain a viable option for future projects.
Another key aspect is the social support that refugee families receive from organizations such as ELAN and SAMU Social, who provide personalized follow-up to ensure good social and work integration in the host country.
The “In my Backyard” project is also characterized by its collaborative framework. Both local citizens and refugees participate in the construction of these modules, which creates a cultural and professional bridge between both communities. It is a innovative strategy which fosters social cohesion and provides refugees with valuable skills they can apply in their new lives.
Within two years, up to 50 tiny houses are expected to be built in different regions, in response to the growing demand from families willing to host asylum seekers on their land.
Thus, this model of tiny houses not only responds to the need to accommodate refugees in a more dignified and humane way, but also promotes social integration through a sustainable and accessible architectural solution.