What happens when a wind turbine reaches the end of its life? Most of the time, its parts get buried in landfills or incinerated. But a Dutch design company is pushing for a better answer: upcycling them into fully functional, minimalist tiny homes.
From Energy Giant To Compact Home
Blade-Made, a Rotterdam-based company, recently built a 376-square-foot tiny house called “Nestle” from the nacelle of a retired wind turbine—the part that contains the engine. On the outside, it looks like a sleek, solar-topped metal pod. Inside, it's surprisingly spacious and bright, with full plumbing and electricity.
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“This is basically the most complex thing that you can do with it,” co-founder of Blade-Made and partner at architecture firm Superuse Studios Jos de Krieger told CNN recently. “So, all the other less complex things are now easier to imagine and to realize, because this has already been done.”
Nestle was built using a 20-year-old V80 2MW turbine donated by Business of Wind, a Dutch company that reuses wind turbines. It’s also the first time a nacelle has ever been turned into housing that meets national building codes, making it a big step forward for sustainable architecture.
Turning Waste Into Function
Blade-Made was founded in 2021 to scale up Superuse's turbine reuse projects. The team has already turned 32 blades into playgrounds, benches, sculptures, and other public furniture at 12 sites. According to the company’s website, the approach can result in up to 90% less carbon emissions compared to conventional materials.
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“Everything in the built environment — everything that you see around you — has an end of life,” de Krieger told CNN. “We need solutions besides waste or landfill, incineration or something without value.”
Wind turbine waste is a growing issue. According to the Global Energy Monitor, global wind energy capacity hit 1,000 gigawatts in 2025, and blades and nacelles typically cannot be recycled due to their complex fiberglass-based structure. In the U.S. alone, blade waste could exceed 2.2 million tons by 2050, according to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.
That's why Blade-Made focuses on reusing blades directly, turning them into sound barriers, bus stops, and even bridges; all with minimal cutting and energy use.
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Despite the enthusiasm, upcycling turbine parts isn't easy. The materials are hard to transport, and manufacturers often don’t share the specs needed for safe reuse. De Krieger compared it to remodeling an old home: “You break open a wall and you find something that you did not expect,” he told CNN.
Still, Blade-Made sees promise in expanding this approach. Nestle debuted at Dutch Design Week in 2024 and received strong interest. The company is now preparing to build 10 more units.
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