Tiny Homes

Tiny house by Kengo Kuma is perfect for the minimalist nomad

All wood everything

By Selina Cheah and Lauren Ro Updated Apr 25, 2017, 5:51pm EDT

Kengo Kuma's mobile home, featuring windows that are opened outwards — Kengo Kuma’s latest project is a minimalistic mobile home

Japanese architect Kengo Kuma brings a flair of minimalism to his new project, “Jyubako,” a tiny mobile home that’s perfect for the nomad looking to strip down to the bare necessities in life.

Developed in collaboration with Japanese outdoor goods company Snow Peak, the structure is wrapped in wood panelling inside and out, seeking to fully incorporate nature into the design. When the windows are fully closed, the exterior of the house looks like a timber box and resembles a “jyubako,” which translates to “living box” and is also a homonym of a bento box.

With practicality in mind, the simple, trailer-like dwelling can be adapted to various uses. While it may appear a bit too bare right now, rest assured the project is still in its early stages and will be fleshed out with additional elements in the process.

Snow Peak is currently taking orders on Jyubako, which is priced starting at 3.5 million yen (approximately $31,500) for the standard model. Options include the addition of electrical outlets and LED lighting. While owners of the tiny homes must set them up on private land, Snow Peak is also offering the chance to park them on one of their three campgrounds. Muji also recently unveiled a tiny house for purchase.

This story was originally published on October 12, 2016 and has been updated with pricing information.