In the subtropical far north of New Zealand, James and Leonie have created a truly breathtaking off-grid tiny home surrounded by simply spectacular food forest gardens combining both syntropic and permaculture principles.
Crafted with beautiful timbers, brilliant spatial design, and creative flair, this DIY-built home is a testament to craftsmanship and sustainable living.
Beyond the home itself, James and Leonie have cultivated an extraordinary small-scale syntropic food forest. Syntropic agroforestry is a regenerative agroforestry system that mimics natural ecosystems to produce abundant food while restoring soil health and biodiversity. Unlike conventional farming, syntropic agriculture works with nature rather than against it, creating a thriving, self-sustaining environment. Alongside this, the couple also integrates annual permaculture plantings, making their property a model for sustainable food production. James has even launched a business helping others plan and implement their own syntropic food forest gardens.
Their tiny house journey didn’t begin here—before building this home, they lived in a van while traveling, followed by a house truck. Now, after three years in their beautifully crafted tiny home and growing their thriving food forest, they are preparing for an exciting new chapter: welcoming a baby! It will be fascinating to see how their home and lifestyle evolve to accommodate a growing family.
Join us as we tour this stunning tiny house, explore the incredible food forest, and learn more about James and Leonie’s inspiring tiny house journey.
James has started a business, Simply Syntropics, where he helps others to both design and implement their own syntropic forest gardens. You can find a link to that here: https://www.simplysyntropics.co.nz
Leonie also has a fantastic business that she runs from her tiny home where she helps people with website creation and graphic design: https://www.collectivedesignery.com
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Presented and Produced by: Bryce Langston
Camera: Rasa Pescud & Bryce Langston
Editing: Sarah Binder & Rasa Pescud
Title music in this video by Bryce Langston: http://www.youtube.com/brycelangston
‘Living Big in a Tiny House’ © 2025 Zyia Pictures Ltd
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