This $55,000 floating tiny home can be assembled in one day

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This $55,000 floating tiny home can be assembled in one day

Koda Light Float

Riku Kylä/Koda

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  • An Estonia-based design firm built a floating home that can be recycled and put together (or taken apart) in a single day.
  • The home is built to last 50 years, and can easily be transported from one location to the next.
  • With its minimalist aesthetic and compact space, the home is intended for nomads who prefer to live with less.
  • It could also allow people to pick up and go in the event of a climate-related disaster.

Recent years have ushered in the rise of digital nomads who conduct business out of restaurants, cafés, and subway cars instead of homes and offices.

But even a nomad needs somewhere to rest their head occasionally - a place they can consider, if not a home, then a home base.

Read more: A $6 million floating home that can withstand Category 4 hurricanes is now a reality. Take a look inside.

Kodasema, an Estonia-based design firm, develops tiny homes that move with their owners. The homes can be assembled and taken apart in a single day, allowing them to easily be transported. This is useful for more than just wandering freelancers; in the face of rising sea levels or a hurricane, residents could ostensibly have the option to move their home to a safer location.

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The firm's latest model, a 278-square-foot structure that sits on a floating pontoon, can be built on both water and land. Take a look at its sleek, minimalist design.

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Kodasema hopes to capitalize on what it sees as a growing trend of people downsizing to smaller, accessible spaces.

Kodasema hopes to capitalize on what it sees as a growing trend of people downsizing to smaller, accessible spaces.

The firm's designer, Ülar Mark, said residents in Spain, France, and the UK have traded mansions for traditional homes and apartments. The 2,000-square-foot apartment awaits the same destiny, he said, and will soon be swapped for even tinier spaces.

The public might be ready for tiny living, but the construction industry has lagged behind.

The public might be ready for tiny living, but the construction industry has lagged behind.

The concept of a floating tiny home is a bit ahead of its time, said Birgit Linnamäe, the firm's CEO.

"The whole construction and housing industry has become too rigid," she told Business Insider. "The legislative settings for floating homes in different European countries are not quite in place."

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The company wants to take matters into its own hands by producing homes that are designed for the masses.

The company wants to take matters into its own hands by producing homes that are designed for the masses.

Mark said he envisions the homes being manufactured in bulk, like cars. The design, he said, is a blank canvas on which people can project their personal taste.

The company has already built an entire village of tiny homes in Estonia, and are now putting the finishing touches on Koda Park, a mixed-use community with its own solar technology and wastewater treatment system. Linnamäe said the development, which can be built on vacant lots, doesn't require heavy permitting.

Kodasema's floating model starts at $55,000, but the price varies depending on the materials, hardware, and location.

Kodasema's floating model starts at $55,000, but the price varies depending on the materials, hardware, and location.

The company's original model, Koda, was made of heavy concrete that weighed around 30 tons. The price of that home, including installation and delivery, was around $150,000.

Kodasema has since introduced lighter materials like timber and plywood that can be recycled and last 50 years. Linnamäe said the company is on its way to building homes that start at $20,000.

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The company said the floating home feels like a "Mediterranean villa."

The company said the floating home feels like a "Mediterranean villa."

In less than 280 square feet, residents have access to a kitchen, living room, bedroom, and bathroom.

Since the model can be built on land, it could also function as a café, hotel, or small business, like an artist's studio.

Since the model can be built on land, it could also function as a café, hotel, or small business, like an artist's studio.

Mark said most people see it as a living unit. The company has garnered interest from around the world in places like the Gulf, New Zealand, Africa, and North and South America. It has already delivered models to Norway, Germany, and the UK.

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Mark said the home's minimalist aesthetic caters to a growing trend of prioritizing experiences over material goods.

Mark said the home's minimalist aesthetic caters to a growing trend of prioritizing experiences over material goods.

"The design task was to take off everything that's not needed," Mark told Business Insider. The company thinks the idea will resonate with people looking to explore a new way of living.

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