Dutch design studio Blade-Made has converted a section of a decommissioned wind turbine into a micro home featuring a simple, wood-lined interior and renewable solar-powered electricity.
The project was designed by architect Jos de Krieger of Rotterdam-based firm Superuse, who co-founded Blade-Made to demonstrate new uses for wind turbines that have reached the end of their working life.
Superuse was one of four studios invited to develop concepts around the reuse of wind turbines by Swedish energy provider Vattenfall and the Dutch Design Foundation.
Its tiny house utilises a part of a turbine called the nacelle, which houses all of the technology required for its operation.
The architects realised that the nacelle’s size of roughly 10 metres long by four metres wide meant it was just large enough to be habitable. As a play on the word nacelle, they called their project Nestle.
Superuse has developed several designs using other parts from former wind turbines, which are typically decommissioned after 20 to 25 years. This led De Krieger to co-found Blade-Made in 2023 to help bring some of those ideas to market.
He told Dezeen that nacelles are similar to the turbine blades in terms of their materiality, design, engineering and potential to be reused as building elements.
“The Tiny House is proof that any transformation of a nacelle is doable, whether it becomes a stable, shed, carport or tiny house,” De Krieger told Dezeen.
“This specific nacelle does have the right properties with regards to height, floor space, transportability, general look and feel, and the amounts produced, which number more than 10,000 globally.”
The structure retains its original external appearance, but the interior has been fitted out with all the amenities required for short-stay habitation.
The architects grouped the bathroom, kitchen and technical facilities together to minimise the amount of wiring and plumbing required, leaving plenty of space for the flexible living area.
“The main challenge was to fit everything within the constraints of the fixed size of the outer shell,” De Krieger explained.
“Insulation materials needed to be a certain quality to ensure compatibility with building regulations while keeping the interior space large enough to allow for permanent inhabitation.”
The open-plan layout allows for a sofa, dining table, storage and media unit to be incorporated in the living area. This space can also be used as an exhibition area, office or meeting room in different contexts.
De Krieger pointed out that the interior design was kept as simple as possible to ensure the tiny house has universal appeal. Local joinery firm Woodwave was responsible for the internal fit-out.
A palette of light, natural materials helps to create a warm and welcoming feel inside the cabin. The walls are lined with pale plywood and the ceiling is covered with recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET) felt to improve the internal acoustics.
The structure’s roof accommodates four solar panels that generate enough power for the tiny house and an external charging point for an electric car.
A solar boiler is used to make hot water and an air-to-air heat pump helps to regulate the internal temperature. The cabin is also highly insulated, with airtight seams and only a few large triple-glazed windows.
The nacelle supplied by turbine decommissioning specialist Business in Wind for this project is from a Vestas V80 turbine that was formerly used in Gols, Austria. Superuse is continuing to explore ways of transforming the thousands of similar turbines currently in operation.
Elsewhere, Texas-based wellness company Thermasol designed Solaris, which it claims is the first solar-powered, off-grid sauna in the US. A team of researchers at New York’s Cornell University is also developing a flexible solar material called HelioSkin that is integrated with sun-tracking capabilities similar to the biomechanics of sunflowers.
The photography is courtesy of Blade-Made.
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