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Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC) is teaming up with local ecotourism company Big Tiny to put "tiny houses" on Lazarus Island, Minister of State for Trade & Industry Alvin Tan revealed on Feb. 28.
Tan was speaking during the Ministry of Trade & Industry's (MTI) Committee of Supply debate in Parliament.
By putting up accommodation on Lazarus Island for the first time, from April 2023, SDC aims to encourage guests to explore Singapore's Southern Islands in a tranquil environment.
Sustainable practices
Big Tiny, founded in Singapore by three Singaporean entrepreneurs, has been offering stays in tiny houses in countries such as Australia and Italy since 2018.
These tiny houses are usually located in remote areas.
They are compact living spaces that offer the amenities of a full sized home in a space that is usually significantly smaller, such as the inside of a shipping container.
Here's an artist's impression of what the interior of the tiny house on Lazarus will look like:
Photo via Big Tiny Pte Ltd
Photo via Big Tiny Pte Ltd
And here's an artist's impression of the exterior:
Photo via Big Tiny Pte Ltd
When Big Tiny debuted in 2018, the company told the Straits Times that they were looking for opportunities to set up these tiny houses in locations in Singapore such as the Marina Barrage.
They will soon open Tiny Away Escape @ Lazarus, which will offer five such tiny houses at the Southern Islands.
Guests will take a 15-minute boat ride from Sentosa Jetty @ Cove to reach Lazarus Island.
Photo from Sentosa Development Corporation
Once there, guests will be able to explore the connected islands of Seringat, Lazarus, St John’s and Kias.
The units, each between 150 and 170 sq ft in size, will be equipped to function "in line with sustainable practices to reduce holidaymakers' carbon footprint".
Big Tiny aims to achieve this by using solar energy as the main source of power for the tiny houses, as well as using high-tech waste recycling systems, sustainable building materials, as well as biodegradable shower amenities.
According to Big Tiny, the pricing of the stays will be announced at a later date, closer to the launch.
First movers
Big Tiny won Enterprise Singapore's Sustainability Open Innovation Challenge in 2021.
They have also gained support from the Ministry of Trade and Industry through the Pro-Enterprise Panel (PEP) under the First Mover Framework.
The framework allows entrepreneurs such as Big Tiny, to be directly allocated public assets such as land or space to try ideas.
This allowed Big Tiny to collaborate with the SDC to set up the Lazarus island testbed.
Other activities planned
The area around the testbed area will be also see the launching of other services and activities, such as a convenience store, overnight glamping experiences, and non-motorised water activities.
These will be launched in phases around June 2023.
However, bike rentals and the "Glasshouse", a multi-purpose air-conditioned space, are available right now.
Photo from Sentosa Development Corporation
If you're planning a retreat, this could be a cool option.
Photo via Sentosa Development Corporation
Top image via Big Tiny Pte Ltd