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The Karg Cabin: Estonia’s Eco-Friendly Honeycomb Homes


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Meet the Karg Cabin — an eco-friendly off-grid cabin powered by the sun. It’s unique and compact design makes it great for an office, guest house, or micro home!

These honeycomb-shaped structures are built in Estonia and created from natural materials: wood, wool insulation, and straw panels. There are three varieties: The Karg cabin, the Karg sauna, and the Karg mini.

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Honeycomb-Shaped Home: The Karg Cabin

karg cabin

Images via Karg

This little cabin has amazing skylights in the roof and a futon couch.

karg cabin

Images via Karg

Love all that natural light coming in, and the honeycomb shelves.

karg cabin

Images via Karg

Here’s the view from the inside-out. Lovely.

view_from_inside_out

Images via Karg

Somehow the cabin both blends into nature and stands out at the same time!

karg_at_vango_holida_b5P8a

Images via Karg

Here’s one of the holiday cabins you can stay in.

karg_3

Images via Karg

These LED lights are all solar-powered.

karg_night

Images via Karg

You can see the discreet solar panel shingles on the roof.

karg_1_v2_solarpanel_iTdLy

Images via Karg

Here’s the deck for a morning cup of coffee.

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Images via Karg

Would you want one of these?

morning

Images via Karg

It could make a great granny pad!

karg_sunset

Images via Karg

And finally, here’s what the Karg sauna looks like! I need this in my yard…

karg_sauna

Images via Karg

VIDEO: Karg – Be free like a bee

Build your own Karg

The coolest thing? You can build your Karg on their website and find out exactly what certain upgrades will cost you without calling for a quote. Check out the widget here, and get planning! Want to stay in a Karg before buying one? They have multiple Karg cabins for short-term rentals on their website. Enjoy the photo tour below!

Learn More:

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Natalie C. McKee

Natalie C. McKee is a contributor for Tiny House Talk and the Tiny House Newsletter. She's a wife, and mama of three little kids. She and her family are homesteaders with sheep, goats, chickens, ducks and quail on their happy little acre.
{ 10 comments… add one }
  • jerry dycus
    June 2, 2020, 4:28 pm

    A lot of wasted space, labor, money on the lower part. It would be a much better TH if they made a full width floor. Other than not having a bathroom, kitchen which it could have with another 5′, nice

    • James D.
      June 3, 2020, 2:48 am

      Actually, the hexagonal/honeycomb shape design allows the minimization of the amount of used material to reach minimal weight and minimal material cost. A honeycomb shaped structure provides a material with minimal density and relative high out-of-plane compression properties and out-of-plane shear properties.

      There’s notable examples of its use, like the interior ribbing and hidden chambers in the dome of the Pantheon in Rome is an early example of a honeycomb structure. It’s even used in aerospace industry, among other examples…

      While this is a cabin, it doesn’t have to follow the same standards as a modern house and as the point is usually to be nearer nature they will more likely be decentralized, using multiple structures to provide the usual functions of a home, rather than monolithic all in one structure like most modern houses as that simplifies construction, helps make them easier to be off-grid, doesn’t require modern technology to work, doesn’t have to all be built at once and can be added to more easily over time, etc.

      Not for everyone and everywhere but nothing really is as there are always trade offs but this is low cost, easy to set up, meant for wanting a more back to nature solution, and allows easily setting up separate units for different uses like a sauna, which is shown in the last photo before the video…

  • jerry dycus
    June 3, 2020, 5:59 am

    Wow!! First honeycomb that is true if mated with many other units but this isn’t. It doesn’t minimize anything as it takes more labor, bad structurally and cuts useful room, storage needlessly.
    I’m not going to unpack the other BS you just made up.

    • James D.
      June 4, 2020, 3:12 am

      Sorry but I don’t make up things nor do I BS…

      First, this isn’t just one unit. They’re selling three different models that can be purchased in whatever quantity and combination someone wants for whatever setup they want. The photos are just of the units they have for their camp ground rental properties so people can try them out but while the first one is a single cabin, the other photos are from the village they set up in a different location with multiple units, including the sauna one. The 10th photo even shows a unit with a connecting deck to another unit. So this is not limited to just a single unit…

      Second, the efficiency of a honeycomb is from it’s shape, it doesn’t matter how many there are as that only effects scaling and how you want to use them.

      Third, again, it’s a cabin and not a house. Cabins don’t have to follow the same design and usage as a house! The point of these product is to keep things simple and be able to easily go off grid… Besides, part of the design priorities they have for this is so they are easily movable and can easily get approval for placing on a property.

  • D. Pedersen
    June 4, 2020, 2:16 am

    Not good for a granny pad. Most elderly have have mobility problems. So there would not be enough space to move around if using mobility aids.

    • James D.
      June 4, 2020, 4:38 am

      Maybe, but the layout is very simple, mainly just seating and a place to sleep. So doesn’t really require more than being able to get through the door, turn around and being able to get back out… Entrance is standard residential width of around 36″, which should work for most mobility aids. So replacing the steps with a ramp may suffice for most unless they also need aid to get in and out of the bed…

      While separate types of aid can always be installed, like a hoist lift system, or options like wheelchairs that can switch to standing position and can make tight turns, etc. People don’t have to be limited to basic and old types of mobility aids these days anymore… Just may depends what’s covered under your health plan…

  • June 13, 2020, 4:34 am

    I think there all so great! My husband and I was going to email you the days ago for one. Them 20 minutes later. I get the most shocking news of my life. My sister is a nurse and have 5 family members the COV, 19. Last year we lost 2 brothers. My dad has cancer. He has it now. Not doing good! This is my dream we stay with his dad Intel I can come up with the down payment again. It’s my dream!!

    • Natalie C. McKee
      June 14, 2020, 12:52 pm

      Oh my Susan I’m so sorry to hear that!

  • susan lee
    June 14, 2020, 7:36 pm

    Thank you alot. It’s hard to even breath right now. My sister is a nurse and brought it home. It’s not her fault. My dream is to own one of these wonderful tiny homes. All this has put me back right now. But hopefully soon. We leave withvfamily due to this COV, 19! Prayers moves mountains. I have been doing a lot of it. More than normal. Thank you so much for caring!

  • Jess's Young
    July 2, 2020, 7:40 pm

    This is REALLY a beautiful structure. Thank you for sharing! It’s very inspiring.

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