EcoNeo is a 35 m² summerhouse in Zealand, Denmark, designed by SAGA Space Architects as a compact residential construction for low-impact holiday living. Drawing on the studio's work with habitats for extreme environments, the project applies principles of spatial efficiency, resource awareness, and human well-being to a familiar architectural typology: the Danish summerhouse.
The house is organized around a central living space, as the ground floor accommodates the kitchen, bathroom, integrated storage, indoor sauna, and a dining area for up to ten people, while two mezzanines above provide the primary sleeping areas for a family of four. Rather than dividing the limited footprint into separate rooms, the project uses vertical space, built-in elements, and elongated views to create an interior that feels open, flexible, and social.
For EcoNeo, daylight and views are treated as spatial tools. Large windows frame the surrounding landscape, while a mechanical skylight draws light deep into the interior and expands the perception of space. Outside, a terrace extends the living area beyond the building envelope, allowing the compact house to borrow space from its setting. The sauna, complemented by a cold plunge, introduces a familiar element of Scandinavian summerhouse culture and reinforces the house as a place for retreat, gathering, and seasonal rituals.
The material palette strengthens the connection to the landscape. Oak shingles define the exterior, giving the house a natural character that will weather over time. Inside, plywood, Douglas fir, birch, OSB panels, and wood-fiber insulation create a warm and tactile atmosphere through continuous wooden surfaces. Using biogenic and natural materials help reduce embodied carbon while giving the house a sense of softness, precision, and permanence.
EcoNeo has been developed as a fully parametric digital model, with each building component defined before production. This process was translated into a construction system of CNC-cut elements, allowing for precise prefabrication, efficient assembly, and reduced material waste. Rather than being treated as a separate technical layer, digital fabrication becomes part of the architectural logic of the project: a way to control material use, construction time, and future adaptability.
Although compact in size, EcoNeo integrates environmental systems that support comfort while reducing unnecessary energy use. Circadian lighting follows a 24-hour daylight rhythm, while custom sensor system monitors air quality and movement. Connected to a central operating system, the house can respond to changing conditions by adjusting lighting, opening windows or blinds, and controlling the sauna.
Through its compact footprint, biogenic materials, efficient systems, and renewable energy support, EcoNeo is estimated to reduce annual CO₂ emissions by around 80% compared with an average newly built Danish summerhouse. The project demonstrates how a smaller house can still feel generous, atmospheric, and socially rich when architecture, materials, construction logic, and environmental systems are considered together from the beginning.
EcoNeo functions both as a family retreat and as a prototype for future residential architecture, proposing a model of living that is smaller in size, more precise in production, and more transparent in environmental impact.
