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Handcrafted Austrian Wohnwagon Cleans Water with Marsh Plants
Experimental from top to bottom, the Austrian Wohnwagon is one of the first tiny houses on wheels to come from the European country. The Wohnwagon (“living wagon” in German) is built from locally sourced Austrian woods and has sheep wool insulation, solar panels, a living roof and even a water circulation system that uses marsh plants to clean and re-use greywater.
The system works like this: rainwater is collected from the roof into storage tanks on the roof and under the ground and used in the home. The used water from the shower and sinks is then pumped onto the roof and cleaned by marsh plants that reside on top of the house. Within 24 hours, the water is clean and moves back into water tanks where it is heated or filtered for showering and drinking.
The Wohnwagon also has an interesting hot water heater and wood stove in one stylish unit. The Badeofen includes a container for heating wood for hot water when the roof top solar panels are not producing power.
As far as the design, the Wohnwagon is distinctly rounded on both the front and the rear and the porthole windows give it a sailboat quality. The front porch and the awning bring in the outdoors and the large windows bring light into the simple interior. Only natural oils were used on the exterior wood. One end of the home has a large bed with a pullout bed stored underneath. The bathroom is equipped with a composting toilet and a round shower and the kitchen has an oak countertop, a Dometic stove and refrigerator.
Currently, Austria has no building laws or precise rules for tiny houses on wheels, but the Wohnwagon crew offers workshops for potential owners on how to use these types of houses for simple living. They can be custom made and range in price from $40,000 Euros to $90,000 Euros ($42,000 to $95,000).
Photos by Wohnwagon
By Christina Nellemann for the [Tiny House Blog]
