Couple spent 5 years searching Google Maps; found a 5-acre Finnish island and built solar home

A Finnish couple spent five years searching Google Maps and government property records for an island they could call their own before discovering a 5-acre patch of land in the country’s vast archipelago. Aleksi Hautamäki and Milla Selkimäki had explored the region for years and wanted a secluded place that was remote enough to feel like an escape but still suitable for building a home. In 2018, they finally found the uninhabited island, then sold their Helsinki apartment to help fund the purchase and construction. They transformed the rocky landscape into Project Ö, a compact retreat made up of two buildings that together cover about 70 square metres. The home runs off-grid using solar power and filtered seawater, while its design takes cues from traditional Finnish cabins and Japanese minimalism.How the couple found their island after five years of searching Google MapsAleksi had been familiar with the Finnish Archipelago since childhood, having spent summers exploring it with his father, while Milla had also spent time in the region. After they met, the couple began spending their summers boating through the archipelago and around 2015 started considering the idea of owning an i...