There is a small white house floating lazily on the waters of Lake Tisza in Hungary.
Tamás Bene, a Hungarian architect, designed Sneci (this is the name of the tiny floating house) with the stated aim of sustainability. The couple who commissioned Sneci are originally from Budapest.
The two buyers sought Bene to build a summer house that could enjoy the beauty of the lake of the great Hungarian plain.
A white lake snail
The beautiful tiny house which looks like a fishing boat sails very calmly, and on the other hand the name says it all. Sneci in Hungarian means "snail". Coincidences? I don't think so: D
The goal was just that: Bene and his clients wanted a houseboat that could take them slowly through the curved waterways of Lake Tisza. A tiny house built for free time, to enjoy everyday life with the calm of the fishermen.
The overall design of the boat is clearly and openly inspired by the fishing boat. Like the fishing boat it has a compact yet functional approach, and in this unusually comfortable guise.
Sneci, small size and adaptability
By managing to incorporate a small kitchen, dining area and double bed into Sneci's small space, Bene clad the interior walls of the boat with thermo-wood and redwood. As designers structure a fishing boat primarily according to the needs of each fisherman, the final vessel prioritizes practicality over aesthetics.
Hoping to find the right compromise between the two needs of aesthetics and functionality, Bene has kept the intrinsic minimalism of the houseboat. Sneci is a compact living space that integrates subtle nautical design accents for both the interior and exterior.
Most of Sneci's outer cladding and structure are constructed of aluminum and then covered with a nice white coating.
In addition to aluminum, for the tiny house "fishing boat" Bene used thermo wood for the roof and decking. Smaller portholes provide interior living space overlooking the lake, and a larger floor-to-ceiling door offers a more comprehensive view and opens onto the houseboat's foredeck and the outdoor wonders of the man-made lake.
A house or a fishing boat, it's still a ... sunny place
For Sneci to blend perfectly with the natural context of Lake Tisza, the use of renewables was almost taken for granted.
Two solar panels line Sneci's roof and generate enough electricity to power the electrical equipment in the houseboat's tiny kitchen. Little but sure. A small refrigerator, chandeliers and a gas stove top are fully functional.
The kitchen sink does not require electricity as drinking water can be obtained via a foot pump that delivers water from a 20 liter bottle.
We wanted to design a house with the philosophy of a fishing boat able to assimilate to this environment, which could become part of this scenario.
Tamás Bene
With a contained water system, an energy-efficient source of electricity and a modular and compact living space, success was guaranteed.
