Adraga Tiny House Is a Cozy, Minimalist Solution for Off-Grid Living

That’s not to say that all tiny houses are built the same. The idea of a tiny house is to have a wheeled abode that you can relocate at will (*local regulations permitting) and that is self-sufficient and well-equipped to serve as a permanent residence. It should have a compact footprint that will ultimately save you money in rent and bills and allow you to get in touch again with what matters most: life itself.

The above could also serve as the unofficial description for Adraga, the latest completed project in the T.O.W. (Tiny House on Wheels) series from woodworking and architecture studio Madeiguincho from Portugal. Designed for a retired couple looking to go off-grid for longer stretches, it is a self-sufficient mobile home that packs a serious punch in terms of elegant minimalism and coziness.

Adraga is built to sleep and feed two people but can accommodate the occasional night guest if need be. It sits on a double-axle trailer 7 meters (23 feet) long and is clad in wood both on the outside and inside. To compensate for the compact space, the designers used different gradients for the wood panels to designate different living areas.

Access is done through either end of the house, though guests are probably welcome through the double glass door that opens into the living room. There’s a small couch there and a small place to hang out, and the living leads directly into the small dining area slash office, with a fold-out table for two to four people, max.

The kitchen is equally minimalist, with custom cabinetry and an elegant stone sink, some counter space, and all the necessary appliances. Again, to make the most of whatever space available, designers used built-in and multi-functional storage, including in the cabinets and the staircase leading up to the loft bedroom.

The bathroom sits behind a pocket door and can also be accessed from the outside through a farmhouse-style door. In the latter case, you step directly into the shower, which is surprisingly spacious and with wooden slabs on the floor and, as such, perfect for a proper clean-up after toiling in the garden. The last thing you want in a house, whether tiny or not, is to trail mud all over the place. Also, here is another custom stone sink and a composting toilet, and more storage.

The bedroom sits over the bathroom and is what you could call “bare.” In typical loft fashion, you don’t get enough height to sit up or any kind of storage here: there’s only a king-size bed occupying almost the entire space, with a window on each side.

As the saying goes, to each their own: since this was a tiny built on commission, one could assume that the brief called for this kind of stark minimalism. Adraga is still very cozy, though and, what it lacks in this regard, it makes up for in off-grid capabilities.

Adraga comes with solar panels on the roof to run the lights and appliances inside off on. Like another Madeiguincho built we discussed a while back, the Ursa, Adraga too has a rainwater collection system, and it feeds the shower and the two sinks. Madeiguincho doesn’t go into specifics for this build, but the Ursa came with two tanks holding a total of 650 liters (172 gallons). It also had a three-stage reverse osmosis filter under the kitchen sink.

The Adraga also comes with garden beds, so residents can grow their own food. A price is not mentioned, but Madeiguincho tinies start at €30,000 ($34,000 at the current exchange rate), plus taxes.