The amazing FOLDABLE house: Mini dwelling can be transported by truck almost anywhere and unfolded

Thought origami was only performed with paper? Think again. One enterprising company is doing it with houses.

Latvian start-up Brette Haus makes amazing folded-up mini dwellings that are moved to a (flat) location of choice by truck – and then unfolded by two people in just three hours.

They come in three designs – Compact, Rustic and Urban – range in size from 18 to 108 square metres (193 to 1,162 square feet) and cost from 18,000 euros (£16,000) to around 50,000 euros (£44,500) for one with top-end spec.

Origami: Latvian start-up Brette Haus makes amazing folded-up mini dwellings that are moved to a (flat) location of choice by truck – and then unfolded by two people in just three hours. Pictured is one the firm unfolded earlier

Haus about that: The foldable houses come in three designs ¿ Compact, Rustic (pictured) and Urban ¿ range in size from 18 to 108 square metres (193 to 1,162 square feet) and cost from 18,000 euros (£16,000) to around 50,000 euros (£44,500)

Haus about that: The foldable houses come in three designs – Compact, Rustic (pictured) and Urban – range in size from 18 to 108 square metres (193 to 1,162 square feet) and cost from 18,000 euros (£16,000) to around 50,000 euros (£44,500)

Brette Haus says it needs only a week to ship the product within mainland Europe. But the units can be delivered all over the world as they fit inside shipping containers

Brette Haus says it needs only a week to ship the product within mainland Europe. But the units can be delivered all over the world as they fit inside shipping containers

All of them have double-glazing, a kitchen, a living room, a bathroom, and a bedroom and have basic facilities – a toilet, sink, shower, plumbing, and electrical systems. And while they can all be connected to a sewer and electricity network, Brette Haus notes that a local expert may be needed to rig this up.

On the plus side, most countries don’t require a building permit or much paperwork for the constructions to be plugged in, Brette Haus says.

Factory-fitted extras available include an Ikea kitchen installation, a dishwasher or washing machine, solar energy kit, infrared heating, a water heater, a ‘smart home’ system and custom facade finish.

Brette Haus has rendered some bedroom furniture in this picture to illustrate how cosy one of its Rustic houses can be

Brette Haus has rendered some bedroom furniture in this picture to illustrate how cosy one of its Rustic houses can be

All the houses have double-glazing, a kitchen, a living room, a bathroom, and a bedroom and have basic facilities ¿ a toilet, sink, shower, plumbing, and electrical systems. This is a photograph of a Rustic model

All the houses have double-glazing, a kitchen, a living room, a bathroom, and a bedroom and have basic facilities – a toilet, sink, shower, plumbing, and electrical systems. This is a photograph of a Rustic model

A rendering of how a Brette Haus bathroom could look. Every foldable house can be connected to a sewer system

A rendering of how a Brette Haus bathroom could look. Every foldable house can be connected to a sewer system

Factory-fitted extras available include an Ikea kitchen installation, a dishwasher or washing machine, solar energy kit, infrared heating, a water heater, a 'smart home' system and custom facade finish. This rendering shows a mock-up living room

Factory-fitted extras available include an Ikea kitchen installation, a dishwasher or washing machine, solar energy kit, infrared heating, a water heater, a ‘smart home’ system and custom facade finish. This rendering shows a mock-up living room

Brette Haus suggests that the recyclable structures, which are made from cross-laminated timber (CLT), could be used as affordable housing, a cafe, a home office, a garden house, a guardhouse, a glamping lodge or a rooftop hotel suite.

The Compact model can even be joined together to make a little foldable city.

Brette Haus says: ‘Our foldable Compact houses can easily adapt to the size of your business. Attach one unit to another and you will get a much bigger construction. This option allows to create large residential or retail chains similar to townhouses but with a very important benefit – they are movable and can be freely relocated or compactly stored when not needed.

Pictured is a Brette Haus Compact model, which starts at 22,500 euros (£20,000)

Pictured is a Brette Haus Compact model, which starts at 22,500 euros (£20,000)

Pictured is the Brette Haus Urban model, which starts at 30,000 euros (£26,700)

Pictured is the Brette Haus Urban model, which starts at 30,000 euros (£26,700)

‘A tropical or winter resort, an eco-village, a summer camp, a country shopping area, a food market or any other community.

‘Foldable houses can emerge not only as individual projects but can form new social structures.’

Brette Haus says it needs only a week to ship the product within mainland Europe. But the units can be delivered all over the world as they fit inside shipping containers.

Each one takes around eight weeks to manufacture. The company unfolded its first house in December of 2019 in a national park on the Baltic coast.

For more information visit brette.haus/#home.

Nomadic: A Brette Haus can be placed on more or less any piece of flat land. This rendering shows a lakeside possibility

Nomadic: A Brette Haus can be placed on more or less any piece of flat land. This rendering shows a lakeside possibility