Dream House | Russell Heights tiny house is home away from home

I am in the salubrious neighbourhood of Russell Heights, in Upper St Andrew, surrounded by large, affluent housing types. There, below the house where I am right now, is a ravine that extends for some distance.

What is this I am glimpsing through the untamed thicket of greenery? Some brave soul has dared to build their dream home in this very ravine, camouflaged completely by shrubbery, flowers and a canopy of trees. Let’s explore further.

This audacious, miniature cottage joins the ‘tiny house’ movement, a worldwide architectural, social trend that champions living in minimal spaces, 400 square feet or less, adopting a simpler, more affordable, efficient and nature-friendly lifestyle.

The compact structure on stilts, built in 2017, empowers and rewards you with an invaluable life experience. It occupies a total of 400 square feet, with walls, floors, and ceiling beams exquisitely assembled entirely from wood. The roof is covered in zinc sheets, with the employment of insulation (radiant heat barriers) between plywood ceiling and roof, occasioning extremely cool interiors. The sculptured board house has no interior separating walls, except those surrounding the bathroom, as private spaces like the bedroom is sectioned off by room dividers. There is a kitchenette with glass-tiled walls above concrete counters. Living and dining areas extend to the outdoor deck. The interior walls are coloured in white, which play with the rays of light shooting through large expanses of glass openings.

Now we come to the question on everybody’s lips. Whose house is this? The owner and house designer is Claire Requa, an internationally celebrated artist and designer of lighting, interior pieces, and jewellery. Her works have been exhibited in museums around the world and sold in shops in 20 countries. She has resided in Denmark for many years now, and her British partner of 27 years is David. She had two children; one has passed. Here is her home away from home.

She went to St Andrew High School for Girls and then to Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts. Her inspiration comes from her life, nature, and now from her little house. The 65-year-old’s design principle stems from filling a need in the market. She creates “fun, funky and functional” products.

Multibillionaire Elon Musk, with a net worth of US$233 billion, says, “it’s more homey to live in a small house”. So we can live large in a tiny house and be a part of the revolution taking place as we make every inch count.

Barry Rattray is a dream house designer and builder. Email feedback to barry-rattray@hotmail.com and lifestyle@gleanerjm.com.