Remembering the One SQM House, the Smallest Mobile House in the World

The downsizing movement is in full swing, and all signs point to the fact that it’s not going away anytime soon. The lack of affordable housing, booming rent, the ongoing health crisis with every change to the “normal” lifestyle it brought about, and environmental concerns have all worked together to feed and perpetuate the tiny house movement – as well as what you might find on Instagram under the #vanlife hashtag.

The idea is that all those who can’t afford a proper house, who want to live rent- and debt-free, who want to be able to call home whatever part of the country or the continent they want, or who simply want to leave a smaller footprint on the surrounding environment can now do so. For a price. And that’s the biggest hangup with downsizing: for a trend that proposes living small and with less money, it does ask a lot of it at first from whoever wants to try it.

So what if downsizing came at no cost except for the materials you’d need for the construction? What if, in exchange for a small amount, you’d still get a mobile house that offered you shelter and the basics, as well as the promise of complete freedom to find yourself, whether in the great outdoors or in the heart of the city?

It depends on what you consider a house. For architect Van Bo Le-Metnzel of Hartz IV Möbel, a house is a wooden structure (box?) of no more than one square meter (10.7 square feet). In 2012, he created the so-called One SQM House, perhaps still the smallest tiny house in the world. He called its creation the One SQM Revolution and, as it turns out, his idea resonated with many: he got to hold demonstrations and displays throughout Europe in the following years, and eventually in the United States as well.

Based on his experience as a Laos refugee, Le-Metnzel imagined many felt the same way he did about not having a space of their own, a private bubble where they could do whatever. The One SQM House is just that private bubble: a simple structure made with a wooden frame, with a lockable door and a window that opens, four walls and a one-point roof. Upright, it can serve as an office or even a booth for small vendors. Laid on its side, the One SQM House can serve as a bedroom or a lounge, meditation room or even a prayer box.

“It’s the only square meter in the world where I can decide what direction the window looks in, what direction the door opens in, what neighbors I have,” Le-Metnzel said at the time.

The One SQM House weighs just 40 kg (88 kg) and sits on two trolley wheels, which means you can literally take it with you wherever you may go. Its compact dimensions also allow you to load it in the back of a van, for transport on longer distances.

Sure, you will say – and justly so – this is a box to all intents and purposes. Just because you strap a bow on it and call it a house doesn’t make it a proper house: it lacks a toilet, power and running water. It’s so small you can’t even stretch your legs all the way out when you lie down. It’s flimsy and won’t offer protection in cold weather, and perhaps a stronger wind could topple it all too easily.

You would be right to say all these things, but you’d also be missing Le-Metnzel’s point. The One SQM House is not an alternative to a proper house, but a retreat for those who have one already, and the only option for the homeless. It’s also a study in just how little we need in order to connect with ourselves and the surrounding environment.

The One SQM House is different from other tiny houses and mobile living options in that it costs an estimated €250 (approximately $286 at the current exchange rate) to build, meaning the price of the timber and screws. In reality, since you can build it with everyday materials or even splurge on a fancier unit if you’re feeling like it, pricing varies. The architect gave the plans for the build away for free, asking only for photos in return, which he aimed to include in a documentary on the mobile unit. As far as we can tell, they’re still available online.

In 2013, Le-Metnzel and BMW Guggenheim Lab, a think-tank that aimed to address issues of contemporary urban life, hosted an event in Berlin, where people interested in the One SQM House could come and build them. The units were then offered to the homeless, and some were put up on Airbnb for €1 ($1.14) per night.