24 Hours Off the Grid with Majamaja

Off-grid living sounds like a dream on some days — when I think about living simpler, more sustainably, closer to nature — and a nightmare on others — when I’m reminded of the logistic challenges that being 100% self-sufficient implies. This dichotomy however ceased to exist in my mind when I found out about Majamaja, a STATION F startup in the HEC program, back in 2018.I was sitting front row at one of our Ask Me Anything sessions and met the first Finnish entrepreneur at STATION F, Tuomas Autio. Tuomas and his co-founder Pekka Littow, an award-winning Finnish architect, had teamed up with French-American green technology co-founders to develop future of living and were building Majamaja, a company developing houses that operate 100% off-the-grid. Back then, Majamaja was still a prototype — the team officially launched its first building demo and showcase at STATION F in the summer of 2019 (as seen above) and, last year, it inaugurated its first off-grid eco-village in Helsinki, Finland. We were luckily invited to visit and experience off-grid living for 24 hours.

Friday

5:00 pm Aesthetic Arrival

For its first ecovillage, Majamaja chose a remote yet accessible location. Located on a rocky seafront in Helsinki, the village is close enough to the city center, a 25-minute by public transport or 10-minute boat ride away, but it is disconnected from city life and fully immersed in nature with a vast view over the Helsinki archipelago.The village houses five majamaja living units that are wooden built and operate fully off-the-grid. The units are built with prefabricated elements, they require no heavy pre-construction work and can be moved to a new location without leaving a trace behind. 

For the full experience, I chose to arrive by boat and settled into my Majamaja. From the outside, a Majamaja living unit looks like a simple wood-built cabin, embracing timeless aesthetics and using durable building materials. However, from the inside, Majamaja makes full use of innovative clean technology solutions, which I was delighted to discover throughout the hours.

8:00 pm Sustainable Showers

Enjoy a clean shower after a day of travel. Majamaja has a closed-loop water system. It uses an advanced off-grid technology for green energy storage and for rain and grey water purification. Majamaja units are able to have clean water autonomy by collecting rain water and recycling used water in a closed-loop. This water is used for the showers and can also be boiled for cooking.

10:00pm Bedtime

The interior of Majamaja is carefully designed – all technological components are stored under the flooring at the base of the unit, rendering them invisible. The living space is modular and compact – every piece of furniture, whether it be the dining table, the chairs, or the daybed that can also serve as a couch, can be folded and stored away. An alternating tread staircase that doubles as shelves leads up to a mezzanine that serves as the bedroom area. 

The bedroom is peaceful and, apart from a dim night light, it is also electronic-free. Prior to arriving at Majamaja, I imagined that it could feel eerie to be alone in a remote location. But the wooden walls, the memory foam Tempur mattress, and the all-around attention to detail in the design makes it a cozy and inviting environment, which feels like a relaxing and fuss-free sleepover with Nature.

Saturday

7:00 am Solar-powered Breakfast

Majamaja has solar panels elegantly lined up on its roof to feed it in energy. The powerful solar energy storage not only feeds the water purification system used for the shower but also provides electricity to the other house appliances including the lighting, the refrigerator, the microwave-oven, the TV and the optional air-conditioning.

The heating and the cooking stove are powered by a non-polluting natural gas. So, cooking is an option at Majamaja – the unit has a small kitchenette hidden behind invisible doors.If we want to live the full 100% self-sufficient experience, we can pack and bring our own food to the trip. But, thankfully, the Majamaja team also provides generous food baskets for all meals of the day as an option.

10:00am A Full Day Ahead

What first comes to your mind when I say: Helsinki, Finland?

Given our techie audience, it may be Slush or Supercell but you can now also have Majamaja in mind, a STATION F startup in the HEC program, building 100% self-sufficient living units.

Whether you’re looking for a summer holiday off the grid, looking for a place to practice the art of idleness, heading to Slush this November, or simply discovering the city of Helsinki, you should check out the first Majamaja village – maybe even book a stay.