A groundbreaking architectural project called "Tiny Penthouses" is exploring how recycled materials and 3D printing technology can create adaptable housing solutions for urban environments. Created by architect Hedwig Heinsman, this innovative art and architecture project is currently featured at the 19th International Architecture Exhibition at La Biennale di Venezia, curated by Carlo Ratti, and will remain on display until November 23rd, 2025.
The project presents a prototype for compact, 3D printed rooftop homes that could revolutionize urban densification through sustainable practices focused on reuse and circularity. Each housing unit is constructed entirely from recycled materials, including sawdust and consumer plastics, which can be broken down and reprinted into completely new configurations when needed. This innovative manufacturing process allows buildings to evolve and transform over time in response to changing social and spatial requirements, effectively positioning architecture as a renewable and regenerative practice rather than a static construction method.
The Venice Biennale exhibition features comprehensive displays including scale models, detailed facade sections, and full-size mock-ups that effectively demonstrate both the spatial design concepts and material logic behind the project. These installations function simultaneously as architectural research and sculptural art pieces, with particular emphasis on how light, texture, and structural geometry interact within the design. The project fundamentally reframes architecture as a temporal medium – something that can adapt, transform, and return to its original material state without losing value or functionality.
Beyond the technical innovations, Tiny Penthouses examines how underused urban spaces could serve as host locations for new types of housing. One particularly creative proposal envisions student residences being installed within the truck lift area of Amsterdam's Stedelijk Museum, demonstrating how overlooked and unconventional spaces throughout cities could accommodate small-scale, flexible living environments. This approach challenges traditional thinking about where and how urban housing can be developed.
The project builds upon Heinsman's extensive background in sustainable construction and circular design principles. As co-founder of Aectual, a specialized platform focusing on large-scale 3D printed architecture made from recyclable materials, and former co-founder of DUS Architects, she has previously developed multiple structures specifically designed for disassembly and reprinting. These earlier projects serve as important precedents that inform Tiny Penthouses as a continuation of her ongoing material research and sustainable design methodology.
Following its presentation in Venice, the Tiny Penthouses project is scheduled to tour various cultural institutions and European cities throughout 2026. This extended exhibition schedule will allow the project to contribute to the growing international discourse on adaptable architecture and circular urban growth, potentially influencing future approaches to sustainable city development and housing solutions.
