Miniature houses can be an alternative to classic apartments
Berlin - With rapidly rising apartment prices in German cities, an increasing number of residents of the Federal Republic are looking for alternatives to traditional housing. According to architect Van Bo Le-Mentzel, one of these alternatives could be tiny mobile homes, which are significantly cheaper than traditional housing and also give people the freedom to move.
"We love tiny homes on wheels because we don't have to ask anyone about them. We can build without a building permit, as these homes are on a trailer, and are therefore not legally considered a house," explains Le-Mentzel about his passion.
By viewing tiny homes as trailers, their size is clearly defined. "A trailer can be a maximum of 2.55 meters wide and four meters high," the architect states, adding that most tiny homes on wheels have an area of around 10 m². Nevertheless, they accommodate everything necessary, including a sleeping area, bathroom, and kitchenette.
Together with a group of other tiny house owners, Le-Mentzel, who primarily uses his as an office, travels around Germany. By early March, they were in Berlin, near the headquarters of the governing Christian Democrats, and are now in Wittenberg in East Germany. "We want to spread the idea of tiny homes further," says the forty-year-old man. For him, tiny homes, which cost several thousand to tens of thousands of euros, are not just a way to find cheaper housing in big cities, but also a means to engage in a debate about public space.
"I am interested in the possibility of access to the city, who can be in the city, and who cannot. And so far, it is determined by money. Those with high incomes can have an apartment in the city, while those with no income must move to the outskirts," he points out, noting that how people live is currently heavily dependent on the needs of real estate companies. According to him, the organization of the city and the use of public space should primarily be determined by other factors.
"Why should someone get ten square meters of city for free while others do not, just because they do not have a car? That does not seem fair to me," he remarks, pointing out that motorists often have a large space automatically reserved for them in cities. "I am convinced that a tiny house is always a better option than a parked car," he says.
Tiny homes, which according to Le-Mentzel make the most sense in cities, and not in rural areas where many houses and apartments are empty, present one option for democratizing housing. "How else is it possible to pay 100 euros a month to live in the city center?" the man questions, suggesting that practically anyone can afford such a fee.
He also admits that the legal situation is currently quite complex. Unlike private properties or camping sites, it is not legally permissible to live in vehicles or trailers in public spaces in Germany. However, the architect originally from Laos believes this will change over time. Le-Mentzel is convinced that due to the rising prices of apartments and rents, tiny homes will become a common fixture in the coming years, and even large cities will adapt by issuing permits to their owners for the use of public spaces.
"We love tiny homes on wheels because we don't have to ask anyone about them. We can build without a building permit, as these homes are on a trailer, and are therefore not legally considered a house," explains Le-Mentzel about his passion.
By viewing tiny homes as trailers, their size is clearly defined. "A trailer can be a maximum of 2.55 meters wide and four meters high," the architect states, adding that most tiny homes on wheels have an area of around 10 m². Nevertheless, they accommodate everything necessary, including a sleeping area, bathroom, and kitchenette.
Together with a group of other tiny house owners, Le-Mentzel, who primarily uses his as an office, travels around Germany. By early March, they were in Berlin, near the headquarters of the governing Christian Democrats, and are now in Wittenberg in East Germany. "We want to spread the idea of tiny homes further," says the forty-year-old man. For him, tiny homes, which cost several thousand to tens of thousands of euros, are not just a way to find cheaper housing in big cities, but also a means to engage in a debate about public space.
"I am interested in the possibility of access to the city, who can be in the city, and who cannot. And so far, it is determined by money. Those with high incomes can have an apartment in the city, while those with no income must move to the outskirts," he points out, noting that how people live is currently heavily dependent on the needs of real estate companies. According to him, the organization of the city and the use of public space should primarily be determined by other factors.
"Why should someone get ten square meters of city for free while others do not, just because they do not have a car? That does not seem fair to me," he remarks, pointing out that motorists often have a large space automatically reserved for them in cities. "I am convinced that a tiny house is always a better option than a parked car," he says.
Tiny homes, which according to Le-Mentzel make the most sense in cities, and not in rural areas where many houses and apartments are empty, present one option for democratizing housing. "How else is it possible to pay 100 euros a month to live in the city center?" the man questions, suggesting that practically anyone can afford such a fee.
He also admits that the legal situation is currently quite complex. Unlike private properties or camping sites, it is not legally permissible to live in vehicles or trailers in public spaces in Germany. However, the architect originally from Laos believes this will change over time. Le-Mentzel is convinced that due to the rising prices of apartments and rents, tiny homes will become a common fixture in the coming years, and even large cities will adapt by issuing permits to their owners for the use of public spaces.
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