Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Jun 03, 2025

Mingle With Mother Nature in This Tiny Prefab Getaway

Mingle With Mother Nature in This Tiny Prefab Getaway

Tucked into an old-growth forest, this prefab home was assembled in just three days with minimal site impact.

Desiring an escape from the city, Lithuanian architect Ema Butrimaviciute of the Vilnius–based architectural practice Utopium crafted a rentable retreat that would be "as small as possible," yet spacious enough to fit all the comforts of home.



Set on a wild 50-acre property, the Etno Hut is located within easy access from two major Lithuanian cities, Vilnius and Kaunas.

With an ancient forest as a backdrop and beautiful, unfettered views of the Lithuanian countryside in front, the Etno Hut smartly defers to the landscape with its minimalist, compact design of just 150 square feet.



Set on a slope, the property faces the forest to the north and sweeping views of the landscape to the south.



The Etno Hut is elevated on a steel foundation screwed into the ground by hand. The space beneath the main volume was covered to hide cables, piping, and storage.

Minimal site impact was a guiding principle for the streamlined cabin that’s elevated off the ground on a steel foundation. SIP construction allowed the project to be assembled in a speedy three days.



Folding glass doors blur the boundaries between the indoors and out.

Ema also dressed the interiors in a pared-back aesthetic with a natural material palette that keeps focus on the outdoors.



The view of the interior from the terrace. The floors are waterproof laminate and the walls are painted wood siding.

Etno Hut features a fully equipped kitchenette, a bathroom with a spacious shower, a dining area, and a queen-size bed (with an extra pull-out bed) to meet the basic needs of two people. Most of the fittings were custom made for the project.



The queen-size bed with natural fiber bedding is perfectly slotted into a corner of the house. The bathroom is fitted with a Gustavsberg basin and tap, as well as a Roca toilet.



At the heart of the hut is a wood-burning stove. The kitchenette features a Hansgrohe tap, a Franke sink, laminated chipboard cabinets, along with high-pressure laminate counters and backsplashes.

"One of the tasks was to avoid those uncomfortable things that are usually found in tiny houses, such as transformable furniture or ladder stairs," explains Butrimaviciute.



The exterior is clad in fiber-cement panels and topped with a bitumen roof.

The remote beauty of the property proved a drawback during construction however, since finding contractors willing to travel the distance for such a small project was difficult.



The home is also equipped with an infrared heater and a wireless bluetooth speaker.

"The design of the house is simple and easily adaptable to every site," concludes Butrimaviciute. "It can merge in both: urbanized territory or countryside. In the near future, there is a plan to build bigger units that would look similar in matter of a design, however a little bigger."



A timber terrace offers the spot for al fresco dining.

The cozy hideaway is available to rent starting at 60€ ($69) a night.



Etno Hut floor plan.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Harvard Urges US to Unfreeze Funds for Public Health Research
Businessman Mauled by Lion at Luxury Namibian Lodge
Researchers Consider New Destinations Beyond the U.S.
53-Year-Old Doctor Claims Biological Age of 23
Trump Struggles to Secure Trade Deals With China and Europe
Russia to Return 6,000 Corpses Under Ukraine Prisoner Swap Deal
Microsoft Lays Off Hundreds More Amid Restructuring
Harvey Weinstein’s Publicist Embraces Notoriety
Macron and Meloni Seek Unity Despite Tensions
Trump Administration Accused of Obstructing Deportation Cases
Newark Mayor Sues Over Arrest at Immigration Facility
Center-Left Candidate Projected to Win South Korean Presidency
Trump’s Tariffs Predicted to Stall Global Economic Growth
South Korea’s President-Elect Expected to Take Softer Line on Trump and North Korea
Trump’s China Strategy Remains a Geopolitical Puzzle
Ukraine Executes Long-Range Drone Strikes on Russian Airbases
Conservative Karol Nawrocki wins Poland’s presidential election
Study Identifies Potential Radicalization Risk Among Over One Million Muslims in Germany
Good news: Annalena Baerbock Elected President of the UN General Assembly
Apple Appeals EU Law Over User Data Sharing Requirements
South Africa: "First Black Bank" Collapses after Being Looted by Owners
Poland will now withdraw from the EU migration pact after pro-Trump nationalist wins Election
"That's Disgusting, Don’t Say It Again": The Trump Joke That Made the President Boil
Trump Cancels NASA Nominee Over Democratic Donations
Paris Saint-Germain's Greatest Triumph Is Football’s Lowest Point
OnlyFans for Sale: From Lockdown Lifeline to Eight-Billion-Dollar Empire
Mayor’s Security Officer Implicated | Shocking New Details Emerge in NYC Kidnapping Case
Hegseth Warns of Potential Chinese Military Action Against Taiwan
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Jamie Dimon Warns U.S. Bond Market Faces Pressure from Rising Debt
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Taylor Swift Gains Ownership of Her First Six Albums
Bangkok Ranked World's Top City for Remote Work in 2025
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
Russia's Fossil Fuel Revenues Approach €900 Billion Since Ukraine Invasion
U.S. Justice Department Reduces American Bar Association's Role in Judicial Nominations
U.S. Department of Energy Unveils 'Doudna' Supercomputer to Advance AI Research
U.S. SEC Dismisses Lawsuit Against Binance Amid Regulatory Shift
Alcohol Industry Faces Increased Scrutiny Amid Health Concerns
Italy Faces Population Decline Amid Youth Emigration
×