ÖÖD House: Creating homes in nature

By Molly McPharlin

Great inventions are born from both necessity and vision. For Jaak and Andreas Tiik, the founders of ÖÖD House, their experiences growing up in the wild countryside of Estonia led them to create ÖÖD.

During a weekend hike, the brothers needed someplace for an overnight stay. Instead of the typical hotel experience, they wanted something different and began to imagine a small house, set deep within nature, which would offer seclusion, relaxation, and the chance to experience the environment around them. In 2016, ÖÖD House, their mirrored-house production business, was formed. Today, it is a global company that produces design-focused mirrored homes in some of the most beautiful locations around the world.

An ÖÖD home in Mexico. Photo: Uh May

A creative team with the environment at its core

The Tiik brothers have backgrounds in construction and marketing. In 2021, they teamed up with Robin Böhringer, now the ÖÖD House chairman, who, as the founder of BBox Capital, brought a wealth of corporate and financial knowledge with him. Today, ÖÖD also benefits from a strong team of individuals highly experienced in the construction industry.

Nature is at the heart of ÖÖD construction, affirms Gertrude Ots, the head of marketing for ÖÖD House. “People are looking for unique getaways and privacy. They are not looking to disturb the environment around them,” she says. “The concept of tiny homes that offer the amenities of a 5-start hotel room with a minimal visual footprint on nature is interesting for many. The small area the house uses leads to easier installation even in regions difficult to access.”

ÖÖD in Vermont. Photo: Katherine Berke & Zach Walbridge

Quality construction and craftsmanship

The most popular construction of ÖÖD House is the ÖÖD Signature House with a size of 21.1 square meters. Its design offers 180-degree panoramic views. “They provide a feeling of being outdoors while comfortably cocooned in bed,” says Ots. The mirror glass surface has a minimal footprint and is extremely photographable. Most clients are landowners who rent cabins to guests as part of their business and are looking to offer a new kind of nature getaway. But others want their own modern tiny home someplace where they can really unwind and relax.

The quality of both the materials and craftsmanship sets an ÖÖD House apart. “The structure materials are long-lasting,” says Ots. “They are galvanised steel, triple-layer glass panels, and an aluminium facade system. Each house is built to last.” Construction time is about 300 hours, and the homes are delivered turnkey and can be installed in a day. As a result, ÖÖD homes can be found in 27 different countries – from hot climates to the Arctic.

The Interior of an ÖÖD home. Photo: Oliver Soostar

The importance of sustainability

Building sustainably is important at ÖÖD House. The company is currently testing a new energy-efficient Signature house at their site in Versso, Finland. “We also care about bird safety and take measures to prevent bird collisions with ÖÖD houses,” says Ots. “Our goal has always been to blend into nature without hurting it.” Homes are heated with underfloor electric heat and heat pumps to ensure year-round use. Water can either be on the grid or by using a bio-cycle septic system. The mirror homes’ glass exteriors also reflect 97 per cent of sunlight and therefore consume far less energy to cool down in hotter climates.

ÖÖD House overlooking the sea. Photo: Grautaneset

An Estonian Company with a Global Market

ÖÖD homes are generally made as two-person dwellings. “However, we have done custom projects for families and, at the moment, are developing a family house that will be added to ÖÖD’s standard product,” says Ots. “For people with disabilities, we have also created custom solutions. For example, we have two designs in Northern Norway that have been made with wheelchair access.”

ÖÖD House originates in Estonia and employs many local designers. Homes are manufactured in Tartu and ÖÖD’s headquarters are located in Tallinn. However, ÖÖD House currently has over 400 homes located in 27 countries, including Mexico, Iceland, Ghana, and Norway. ÖÖD is also attracting interest in the United States where they have a production office based in Houston. “We get requests to build in various exotic places around the world,” says Ots.

In the hottub outside an ÖÖD home. Photo: Sarah & Michael @venturingvestals

Future Developments

For the future, ÖÖD is actively looking for investment partners through their ÖÖD Partnership Programme. With this, partners provide the land and ÖÖD creates the house in return for a 30 per cent share in revenue. Partners benefit from low capital expenditure and a proven business model to achieve occupancy. ÖÖD homes complement the land and provide unforgettable nature experiences for guests. The ÖÖD partnership program fits well for estates, nature hospitality, glamping sites, vineyards and distilleries, and farms, to name a few types of businesses. “In 2024, we are opening our first partnerships in Finland, Germany, France, Portugal, Ireland, and Iceland,” says Ots.

ÖÖD is also investing heavily in product development and will launch new ÖÖD products in 2024. They are designed for nature hospitality and will improve customer experience even more while expanding ÖÖD’s customer base. Ots believes ÖÖD House is making its mark in the fields of construction, design, and hospitality. “ÖÖD will continue to create accommodation that will not only change the way people experience nature, it will change these industries as well.”