If you're looking to settle into a smaller home, there are a lot of options out there currently. One could get a custom-built tiny home, or perhaps consider reusing a shipping container; or for the adventurous, even convert a van or retired school bus into a modern tiny home on wheels.

Of course, there are also prefabricated options, which typically use high-quality materials in an efficient way, and can be pre-assembled and transported to a site within a short period of time. Netherlands-based ARK-Shelter offers their Ark structure; a lovely, modern specimen of a prefab that boasts a solemn, black-painted wood-clad exterior and a warm, well-lit wooden interior that's been covered all over with cross-laminated timber plates.

The inspiration? "To go back to the basics by providing a living place within nature," says the company.

The ARK can come in a variety of sizes and configurations, ranging from a single module to a longer, 300-square-foot, 9-ton double-sized module. Full-height windows and patio doors ensure an abundance of light and fresh air coming in. There is also a kitchen and bathroom and different layout options are available. Windows and doors can be shuttered up to provide extra privacy.

The ARK is insulated and heated with a circular woodstove and supplementary electrical heating; it can be powered by solar or wind. A rainwater harvesting and filtration system can be added to the roof.

For foundation, it requires prefab concrete blocks or screw foundations, with the amount depending on the size of the configuration. The company notes that the concrete blocks are installed one week before and the screw foundations can be installed on the day of delivery.

Surprisingly, the standard ARK is not too expensive, sitting in the mid-range with its price tag of EU $60,000—placing it even lower than many high-end, custom-built tiny homes we are seeing nowadays—yet the ARK looks relatively much more clean and minimalist. The ARK comes with all the furnishings, such as the custom-designed furniture, mattress, and woodstove, and is ready to use the same day of the delivery and is available for delivery in European countries. (Alas!)

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