A sustainable cabin you could now build on your backyard

Nolla cabin – a sustainable summer cottage built in 2018 – was envisioned by Robin Falck and developed by Neste to explore sustainable living.

The design of the cabin was kept minimal and local, sustainable materials were used in the building of the cabin. To make sure continuum applies the trend of sustainable living, Neste is organising a competition where 12 lucky winners can obtain the blueprints of the Nolla cabin.

Nolla, the Zero Cabin, was designed to have as small an environmental impact as possible. The prototype of the A-framed cabin was built on the idyllic Vallisaari island in Finland. Neste’s objective was to prove that modern luxury experiences do not have to take a toll on the environment. The cabin’s energy supply was made entirely renewable: electricity is generated by solar panels, whilst the Wallas stove, reserved for cooking and heating, runs entirely on Neste MY Renewable Diesel™. The fuel is made 100% from waste and residue raw materials, and has about 90% less greenhouse gas emissions compared to fossil diesel.

“The project was a success and helped generate global interest around sustainable living and alternative lodgings. We saw this as an opportunity to continue talking about sustainable ways of spending time and travelling, and wanted to take the cabin to a world tour. Thus, we are organizing a competition that will allow 12 people to build their own Nolla cabins,” explains Sirpa Tuomi, Marketing Director at Neste.

The Zero Travel Nolla Cabin

Transporting people or the cabin is against the original design ethos of the Nolla cabin, so rather than bringing people to the cabin, Neste wants to allow people to build their own.

“The way we travel has a direct impact on our emissions and sustainability. Sharing the blueprints is a sustainable way to bring this design to larger audiences,” says Robin Falck, the designer of the Nolla cabin.

In the competition, the prize itself is a set of blueprints of the cabin and all building and materials must be organized by the winner. The idea of the competition is to prove that the Nolla cabin can be built anywhere from local materials and that it suits any environment. All entrants have to do to win is to post a picture of a scenery they wish to enjoy out of the unique triangular window. Entrants should post the picture on Instagram using the hashtag #mynolla along with a short explanation of what they would use the cabin for. The best entries can be seen at: neste.com/journeytozero/zerotravel.

The winners’ projects will be followed as they progress. Build time for the Nolla cabin is between 2–7 days.