The tiny house is often presented as a housing model that allows people to break free from the consumerist systems dominating the economic North. It embodies a return to essentials, a way of living with only what is truly necessary. For its residents, it is a deliberate choice, often driven by fatigue with societal pressures and the desire to follow a more ecological path. But could the tiny house also provide answers to social challenges? Could it make it possible to live with dignity on a limited budget, to shelter families unable to find housing elsewhere, or to respond to issues tied to the specific conditions of a territory? This is the very question that this project seeks to explore. The Sierra tiny house was conceived in response to the challenges facing northern Chile, where the Atacama Desert’s extreme aridity drives rural populations to abandon their villages for larger cities. This migration, largely caused by the scarcity of freshwater, provides a short-term solution but creates long-term difficulties. Young people—who sustain the regional economy through mining, agriculture, and livestock farming—are often the first to leave, leaving those who remain dependent on imported goods. Among the migrants are also Indigenous communities, whose departure threatens not only the survival of local populations but also the preservation of cultural identity, traditions, and ancestral knowledge.

Cultural diversity, defined by UNESCO as “to humanity what biodiversity is to nature”, is increasingly threatened today by factors such as globalization, climate change, and the lack of accessible information. The Sierra tiny house proposes a different way of addressing this challenge : using architecture as a tool for preserving cultural diversity. It seeks to respond to territorial issues in order to welcome individuals or families who might otherwise leave, thus safeguarding the traditions and knowledge rooted in the region. At the same time, it serves as a means of raising awareness about a topic that often struggles to gain visibility. Given Chile’s permissive regulations regarding the installation of tiny houses, Sierra is imagined as a dwelling unit capable of multiplying and assembling into clusters, forming mobile villages that leave no trace on the land. This approach would make it possible to inhabit zones that are otherwise completely uninhabitable, such as desert areas. The project takes its name from the mountain ranges bordering the Atacama Desert, which mark the Chilean frontier. Sierra, meaning “mountain range” in Spanish, was the primary source of inspiration for both the spatial design and material choices. Drawing from its surroundings, the house reflects the grandeur of the landscape that hosts it. Its architecture is conceived to create pure, simple spaces, inviting a sense of well-being over time. The result is a sensitive environment that frames natural vistas, blurs the boundaries between indoors and outdoors, and offers a way of life stripped of excess.