Sheds For Living: Small Practical Prefab Living Space Small houses are the new black right now, and this practical little living space couldn’t be more in vogue. The “Shed,” designed by Manchester-based FKDA Architects, provides all the necessary amenities for living in a compact unit. Designed for those in need of affordable and practical space, the Shed is sustainably built from FSC certified wood, with a healthy interior, efficient use of interior space, and it can run off renewable energy. FKDA has two models of the Shed, aptly named the Big Shed and the Little Shed. The Sheds are prefabricated off-site and then assembled either in the factory or on site. The Big Shed sells for £35-50,000 for 258 square feet, while the Little Shed is £20-35,000 for 140 square feet. Constructed of FSC certified timber framed walls, double paned windows, cellulose fibre insulation from 100% recycled newspaper and interior finishes with low VOC content, the Shed is a great model for green building. + FKDA Architects + Sheds For Living via Design Boom
Chinese worker builds "egg" house to beat high cost of living By Rich Shulman This clever "green" mobile home solves several problems at once: Dai Haifei has eliminated his commute, cut energy costs by going solar, and eliminated his rent payment. The only problem? No toilet. Full story. AFP - Getty Images Dai Haifei, 24, from China's Hunan province, looks out from his egg-shaped mobile house where he has been living for the last two months, located near his office in Beijing on Dec. 1, 2010. Dai Haifei, 24, from China's Hunan province, rests in his egg-shaped mobile house where he has been living for the last two months, located near his office in Beijing on Dec. 1, 2010. Dai Haifei, 24, from China's Hunan province, waters the patches of grass on his egg-shaped mobile house where he has been living for the last two months, located near his office in Beijing on December 1, 2010.
PREFAB FRIDAY: O2 Student Village o2 student village, micro compact home, m-ch, mch, small dwellings, prefab friday, prefab, architecture – Inhabitat - Green Design Will Save the World We often get comments about how difficult it would be to live in some of the Prefab Friday homes that we have featured, and none have received more criticism than the Micro Compact Home (m-ch) which we recently featured in our Top 5 Tiniest Prefab Homes post. But the proof is in the pudding, and in 2006, the Technical University of Munich in Germany installed a small village of seven of these homes for six students and a professor to live in for a full year. Via JetsonGreen The m-ch house is a lightweight, transportable dwelling that attempts to diminish its energy usage by the efficient design of living space. It is also very small, as in, 2.65 cubic meters, or 77 cubic feet. Lest you think that the folks living inside it will not be able to enjoy themselves or may lack many of the comforts of a regular house, the m-ch features broadband and standard internet links, a plasma screen and high quality kitchen and bathroom appliances.
DIY Meditation Temple Built from Salvaged Materials We could all use a peaceful escape from the bustle and stress of our daily lives, but not many of us have the luxury or time to hop on a plane and jet off to a secluded beach or private mountain cabin. But what if we told you that a similar place existed in your own backyard for a mere one-time cost of $28? Created by Aaron Westgate, this relaxing Meditation Temple is a pile of salvaged materials transformed into a beautiful retreat for quietude and contemplation. The one-person Meditation Temple is an exploration in micro-architecture and material re-use. Built entirely from salvaged materials, the folly became an exercise in utilizing familiar construction components in unconventional, yet visually striking ways: stacked chunks of 2x4s evoke corbelled masonry, corrugated galvanized steel hand-flattened and trimmed set off a sleek shingled rooftop, and tension-reinforced rafter-tail cutoffs form the distinct conical cover. + Yestermorrow Design/Build School
MICRO-MINI HOME Inspired by the intimate scale of a Japanese tea house and the compact efficiency of a smart-car, students working on a joint project between the Technical University of Munich and the Tokyo Institute of Technology have come up with a tiny, transportable dwelling called the Micro-Compact Home (m-ch). The lightweight structure is only 2.65 m cubed (roughly 77 sq ft), but incorporates everything a person needs in a home in its super compact design. The tiny cube provides a double bed on an upper level and working table and dining space for four to five people on the lower level. The entrance area has triple use: it functions as a bathroom and drying space for clothing, in addition to a lobby. Costing just 50,000 Euros, this little prefab integrates state-of-the-art technology into its compact design, boasting a sound system, flat screen TV, and temperature controls. + Micro-Compact Home
Beautiful Warehouse Conversion in Melbourne By Eric • Feb 14, 2011 • Selected Work Spotted on MBP, here is a completely renovated apartment located in a historic building in Melbourne, Australia. This three bedroom, two bathroom residence is on sale and according to the agent, “this superlative warehouse conversion in “Leicester House”, an historic 1880′s building, provides privacy and vast spaces. It features soaring warehouse ceilings, huge original arched timber windows, exposed red brick walls, imposing brick archways of 65 cm depth and high gloss timber floors. The exposed brick walls and the high concrete ceilings make this apartment feel like a loft. Sold! Photos courtesy of MDP Click any photo to see a larger image - Use buttons or j/k/arrow keys to navigate through the articles
Friday Houseblogging: (Modernist, Prefab) Cabin Fever Cool Copper Projects Warm metallic hues are easy to love but often pricey. When you create the look... Easy Doily Bowl Craft a decorative bowl from a doily picked up from a flea market, antique... Camper Birdhouse Encourage birds to stay awhile with an adorable vintage birdhouse. Apartments Bright,spacious and dynamic, this colorful apartment in Warsaw, Poland seems to have it all. Designed by Plasterlina, this stylish urban refuge perfectly balances modern decorating with comfortable living. The focal point of the open plan living room seems to be a striped carpet with a rich chromatic tone, setting a cheerful vibe for the entire space. […] The House About to Launch is a mini-sized and sun-drenched apartment located in Tainan City, Taiwan. South African born designer Louis Henri Buhrmann creates “sophisticated luxury combined with comfort and calm”, completing glamorous apartments in London, the Cote d’Azur, Paris and Dubai.
The H-House by Axis Architects The H-House by Axis Architects, is a modern residence located high on Salt Lake City’s East Bench on Devonshire. The living spaces of the house are oriented towards the expansive views of the valley and the Great Salt Lake. This modern residence offers commanding views of the entire city and its surroundings. Extensive site research, client interaction, and space planning combined with an exhaustive design process created this successful and beautiful private home. The views and interaction between the building and the site was a key element of the program, with outdoor recreational space in the rear of the house and balcony areas on the west side.
Green Design: Synagogue Turned Into a Modern Penthouse Located in East Village, the building in here used to be a synagogue until the 80s and later transformed in five stunning contemporary residences. Its new owners, Dominique Camacho and Gary Hirschkron decided to keep the eco-friendly theme going by making the home as transparent as possible while still ensuring privacy. By using low-impact materials for renovation, the designers revamped the whole interior and added a downstairs lounge, a second-floor library and a third-floor bedroom to the existing structure.
Imposing Contemporary Residence in Atlanta, Georgia The Ashely Avenue residence comes from TaC Studios and is located in Atlanta, Georgia. We think this place defines the trend that has captured architecture recently. You are looking at a compact home with very large interiors, two levels, a mix of modern and classical furniture and an interesting outdoor pool. We featured this house because it has a lot of interesting and detailed angles of site, a various interior design and quite a few inspiring elements. We particularly like the spiral stairs- even though they probably take up a whole lot of space, the wide living room with the focus on the piano and the fireplace window.
DIY Design Community Photo: Matt Allison I know cabbage isn't everyone's favorite vegetable, but this recipe may just turn you into a convert. It's rich, luxurious and hearty, without being heavy like many winter variants, perfect for a evening… Continue Reading