Tiny houses and other types of mobile homes that emphasize downsizing often sacrifice comfort and features for a reduced footprint and increased mobility. The Viewfinder would have none of that.
Then again, The Viewfinder is not your typical tiny home, even though builder The Little Big Tiny House Co. describes it as "the ultimate tiny house," which would imply at least some competition with standard tinies. If you take tiny house to mean a trailer-based home specced for permanent residency, The Viewfinder isn't even a tiny by this definition.
And that's the strongest appeal of this unit, as paradoxical as it might sound. The Viewfinder presents itself more like a container home, but it can also be built on top of a trailer. It doesn't have a predetermined layout because each unit leaving the factory of this New Zealand-based builder is made custom after extended talks with the future owner.
The Viewfinder isn't a model of a tiny home as it's a general proposal for one, whether on wheels or not. And that proposal is this: floor-to-ceiling windows to make the most of the surrounding environment. As its name also suggests, this tiny is built to let the views in, wherever you may choose to park it.
Photo: The Little Big Tiny House Co.
The Viewfinder is 7.2 meters (23.6 feet) long and 3.1 meters (10 feet) wide, but dimensions are also liable to change if you, as the paying customer, don't like them. It's built with structurally insulated panels (SIPs) and features an entire side wall of double-glazed glass panels – effectively sliding doors that open up interior spaces to the outside.
Two of the most famous Viewfinders (*in their home country of New Zealand, that is) feature decking on the same side and, smack in the middle of that terrace, a soaking tub. It helps that both are in isolated locations and are offered for rent as glamping units, but the argument is a valid one: since a tiny house is so... well, tiny, and you don't have the space for a tub, why not take it outside?
The layout is otherwise linear, which could draw comparisons to container homes. You have the bedroom at one end and a lounge with a wood-burning stove at the other, and the kitchen and bathroom in the middle.
Photo: The Little Big Tiny House Co.
Since these two units, which are also shown in the gallery above, were designed for glamping, the kitchen is basic, but the bathroom is a residential one, with a shower cubicle, toilet, and sink with vanity. The kitchen has a two-burner gas stove and a small fridge, a sink, and a decent amount of cabinetry for storage. It's "basic" compared to larger tiny houses, but it might actually put to shame units in van or bus conversions.
The builder describes this model, which also happens to be the most popular in their lineup, as "luxurious and expansive" and "small and perfectly formed." While marketing does entail a certain amount of throwing around big words to get attention, The Viewfinder is striving to live up to these promises.
It's small, at just 26 square meters (280 square feet) in the standard layout, but it uses sustainably logged New Zealand timbers only in the construction: plywood for the interior and beech on the exterior. The double-glazed side and the Scandinavian minimalist styling add a touch of luxury without impacting the functionality of the unit, even as a permanent residence, if so desired.
Photo: The Little Big Tiny House Co.
Granted, it has little mobility left, but it can still move around, more so than a standard brick-and-mortar home. Whether as a basic structure you plop into place by crane or as a park model tiny house, The Viewfinder also has reduced construction costs compared to a standard house. If legal in your area, it could also be less of a hassle to set up.
The Viewfinder retails for prices starting at NZD113,000 (approximately $69,700 at the current exchange rate), which includes everything but the sofa and bed but will vary according to your personalization requests.
Stefan Bennett, the founder and CEO of The Little Big Tiny House, started out as a boat builder and got into tiny house building somehow accidentally. The transition came with the realization that he could make something that would fit his and his family's idea of the perfect vacation spot and wouldn't involve sleeping in a tent.
Photo: The Little Big Tiny House Co.
"As a family, we do a lot of camping in out of the way places and we’d always say that 'we’d rather be here than in a 5-star hotel.' Then I got thinking – what if their 5-star accommodation could be in amazing places with amazing views – that was the birth of the Viewfinder – 'built for a view'," he explained in an interview. "Essentially it was built for the growing higher end, lower cost accommodation demand (Glamping) where people were looking for an experience, rather than just a place to rest their head."
The Viewfinder might not be a standard home like the many we've been covering these past few years, but as a glamping unit, it's among the most spectacular. And it's not because it sits on elevated platforms near the treetops or up on snowy mountains, or is made out of the most surprising materials or uses whatever old construction as a starting point. The Viewfinder is spectacular because it puts the focus on where it should be, on the experience it offers to those inside.
And to be sure, nothing says "memorable experience" like taking a bath outside, with such incredible views.
Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends. Full profile
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