edited by Gianluca Gervasoni
There is a house that never stands still. Not on a whim, but out of love for nature. A house that slips on itself, opens, closes, adapts to the weather, the mood, the moment. It is called ANNA and it was devised by Caspar Schols, a Dutch designer who has managed to fuse architecture, emotion and landscape into an unusual living experience.
ANNA Cabin is not just a tiny house. It is a poetic refuge, a declaration of love to essential living, dynamic and immersed in nature. And above all, it is one of the most fascinating mobile architectures of recent years.
A house that moves, really
When Caspar Schols designed the first ANNA Cabin for her mother - a simple lakeside retreat for reading, painting and listening to the rain - he had no idea that it would become a symbol of contemporary living. The idea was simple and ingenious: to create a house that could change its skin, literally. Schols made the first model himself, in the courtyard of his mother's house. Given the amount of work involved in the project, he managed to complete the construction seven months ahead of schedule and all live on YouTube. From there came enormous interest, awards, industry attention.
The structure consists of two sliding shells on tracks, one made of wood and one of glass. Depending on the season, the climate or the need for intimacy, ANNA can either open completely to the landscape or close itself into a warm, protective cocoon. In summer it becomes an open veranda among the trees, in winter a cosy cabin. All without complex technology, without motors: just the power of the hands, the sound of the sliding panels, the scent of wood.
The design philosophy is typical Northern European. Although it envisages the possibility of being installed as a fixed house, complete with provisions for utilities, basically ANNA does not have foundations, but simple screw poles. The structure is modular, making it easy to assemble and dismantle with subsequent transport. In order to reduce pollution, the 80% of components will soon be able to be manufactured locally with numerically controlled machines. The materials of the rest are sustainable and recyclable, mostly high-performance wood. When complete, the house offers complete thermal insulation, so that it is as livable in cold climates (where it was born) as in warmer ones.
The art of dynamic minimalism, but at a price
The beauty of ANNA lies in its balance between engineering and poetry. The lines are clean, the material palette is warm: natural wood, transparent glass, discreet steel. The interior follows the same philosophies, with few elements in the name of functionality. There is space to sleep, cook, meditate. Everything is essential, everything is mobile, yet nothing is sacrificed. Every detail tells of a profound care for the well-being of living. The softly filtering light, the possibility of seeing the stars from the bed, the constant dialogue with the outside world.
ANNA is more than a design project. It is a manifesto for conscious, sustainable living in harmony with nature. It is the dream of light, yet full living. The sliding house by Caspar Schols is available in different versions and can be installed virtually anywherefrom lakes to forests, from open fields to mountains. Each project will obviously be different and will need to be addressed, but the idea behind it is certainly remarkable. It is no coincidence that it has received prestigious awards, such as the Architizer A+ Awards and the FRAME Awards Best Design 2023.
Schols' creation, however, is not cheap, contrary to textbook tiny houses. The ANNA Collection, the latest updated model with all the space and comfort, starts from a base of €527.000. Although there are cheaper models, it is certainly not a solution for everyone, or at least it is in line with the prices in the classic masonry housing market. In addition, one always has to reckon with local legislation, such as ours, which could make this type of solution more problematic and even less cost-effective than it is intended to be.
There is no doubt, however, that Caspar Schols has created a silent, revolutionary work that invites us to rethink our relationship with space and nature. And in a fast-paced world, ANNA teaches us the beauty of stopping, of living in harmony with the outdoors. A simple gesture, like sliding a wall.
