Boat rides around the Finnish archipelago have turned architect Pekka Littow into a master of space. His Majamaja concept condenses everything into the essential: nothing more, nothing less.
I set out to interview Pekka Littow about his Majamaja concept over Teams. He lives in Paris and the conversation flows nicely, starting off with some amusement. We both had to wonder whether we reached each other at the right time due to the time difference.
We discuss building trends in Finland and elsewhere, high tower houses, and megalomaniac shopping centres. Big, packed, and high is not Littow’s preference, even if he lives in a metropolis where space is limited and expensive.
Littow explains that his architectural starting point is in the beauty of small things:
“I want to show that even from small seeds, meaningful and larger-than-life things can develop. Majamaja falls under the international tendency where people seek to spend their free time in smaller settings, aiming to be one with nature.”
The off-grid lifestyle gains popularity worldwide
The off-grid phenomenon refers to cabins or huts built independently of societal networks, meaning that off-grid constructions manage their own energy supply, water management, and waste treatment.
The off-grid lifestyle is an alternative to the ongoing urban-focused lifestyle, which relies on public networks that are also prone to natural disasters and societal crises. Off-grid or tiny house thinking is gaining popularity around the world, including in France, where Littow lives with his family.
“Living in urban environments, such as Paris, means very dense living arrangements. Space is expensive and cannot be wasted. Only very wealthy individuals can afford to live as spaciously as people in Finland.”
“I do a lot of housing design at my office. It becomes crucial to eliminate any non-essential elements and enhance the sensation of space. This same thinking underpins Majamaja.”
Designing from personal needs
Majamaja is also a commentary on today’s building culture in Finland.
“It’s a humble manifesto against high-rises and mega-construction efforts, which is what Finns always turn towards during economic booms. Things get out of hand, and the sense of proportion and scale is lost,” Littow laments.
The idea of a small, off-grid cabin outside the influence of society started from a personal need. Littow and his family have a small allotment cottage in the Helsinki archipelago. When it was time to renovate the cottage, the architect started considering alternatives to repairing the old one.
“I know what it’s like to build in challenging locations in the archipelago. I started thinking about how to avoid the problems of construction efforts on islands that I’ve encountered first-hand in similar projects.”
Littow and his family wanted something more than a bare-bones hut. But basic amenities such as electricity, running water, and waste management would have meant massive groundwork on the site. This, in turn, would inevitably have required modifying the terrain and the surrounding environment. There are also many areas, such as the Helsinki archipelago, where the city does not yet provide networks and probably never will.
“I started to wonder how to place a building in an ideal location, such as seaside rocks or a hilltop in France or Italy, without compromising the environment. The solution would be a cabin where the building technology is brought to the site as ready-made as possible.
Local solutions over centralised ones
A group of interested partners in France co-developed the concept with Littow. Majamaja was first presented in Paris in 2019. The key point was to solve energy and clean water supply, wastewater disposal, and toilet waste management.
The supply of clean water has become difficult worldwide, including in Finland.
“There is plenty of water in the archipelago, but the Baltic Sea is in a catastrophic state. On the other hand, we use clean drinking water for flushing toilets, which is wasteful.
Toilet waste should be composted as soil improver. Greywater should be purified either for reuse or to infiltrate into the ground after purification, instead of discharged into water bodies. In Littow’s thinking, developing local solutions is better than relying on centralised ones.
“If we started to purify water locally – either per house or in small communities – this would mean a huge leap in responsible construction. Majamaja aims to be a forerunner in this change.
Majamajas are built around sanitation modules
In Majamaja cabins, the production and consumption of water and energy is made visible with metres. Littow believes that this can motivate residents to be more mindful of natural resources.
“Awareness can help people realise that their showers need to be quicker. You can turn down the temperature, put on some woolly socks, and add layers of clothing. We can return to the healthy mindset of seeing thriftiness as a virtue, which many people have lost.
For Littow‚ off-grid thinking represents a meeting point of common sense and modern technology. He developed a sanitation module with built-in building technology.
“The module is the essential core of Majamaja on which the architecture stands. The appearance, materials, and colour schemes can be adapted to various environments and cultures.
Boathouses inspired the cabins at Vuorilahdenranta
Littow has patented the sanitation module. Its unique feature is that the technology can be updated, meaning that you can add or remove components according to the needs of a specific cabin.
“For now, the sanitation modules are fairly expensive devices, but the technology is constantly evolving, and with it, the price decreases. As we are not talking about conventional construction, building Majamajas is somewhat more expensive than standard construction projects. The price will come down once we enter serial production. At the moment, everything is handmade.
The first four Majamajas were completed at Vuorilahdenranta in Helsinki’s seaside Laajasalo district between 2021–2023. They represent a design language of traditional boathouses, well suited for the maritime environment. The cabins in Vuorilahdenniemi village can be rented, which is part of Helsinki's aim to open the archipelago for the common use of both city residents and visitors.
Currently, these cabins are the only way to spend the night in a Majamaja for also Littow, as the development process got a bit out of hand and kicked off quickly:
“My own cabin is still unbuilt,” Littow laughs.
A tight-knit village community is eco-friendly and safe
Littow has learned a lot about spatial planning from boating. Born and raised by the sea in Oulu, being on the water has always been part of his life. Littow's family has a large wooden trawler, which the architect calls his floating summer cottage.
“We have vacationed in the Turku archipelago on other people's shores. Spatially and technically, life on a boat is modest but extremely rich. You have everything essential with you, and that’s all you have to manage with.”
In many ways, Majamaja resembles a boat. It is a small, compact unit whose architecture draws from traditional wooden boathouses and salt storages, reflected in both form and the colour palette of red ochre, yellow ochre, and pitch black, all typically used in countryside and archipelago wooden houses.
“The small size of the cabin is not an issue when you have a gorgeous view of the vast seascape in front of you. It is perfectly satisfying to be in a small space if the view is open and beautiful. The cabin then represents security against nature and natural forces.”
Littow doesn’t envision Majamajas being built in every nook and cranny, but rather close to each other, forming tightly knit village-like communities.
“A cluster-like village is beneficial in many ways. It is environmentally friendly. In terms of holiday housing, we should abandon the idea of building cabins scattered around here and there, occupying the entire nature.”
Another significant point Littow likes to underline is the feeling of security and safety that a village-like settlement brings.
“A small village serves both economical and functional purposes, as well as the mental landscape. Humans are social animals who turn to each other for safety. Due to Finland’s long-standing solitary and single-family-based cottage culture, Finns can manage on their own in the woods, but the situation is different elsewhere.”
“A cluster village can encourage people to undertake shared projects, such as constructing a pier or a windmill.”
Towards industrial production
The commercial development of Majamaja is handled by a company bearing the same name. A southern European version has already been created based on the original product. Its design language differs from Nordic boathouse architecture to fit southern European tastes, taking into account local factors such as light and different angles of the sun.
The Majamaja company is currently on the look-out for partners to develop off-grid villages and commence the industrial production of the company’s sanitation module. Both capital and expertise are needed.
“The market will be a global one once we get production and marketing underway,” says Pekka Littow.
And one fine summer soon enough, the architect’s own Majamaja will also be completed.
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