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Prefabricated

The PODhouse idea was originally conceived to improve the popular holiday adventure experi...

The Swiss design firm ROB GmbH (Robust Outdoor Brands), which created the portable kitchen unit Cuebe, has come up with a simple low-impact housing solution. Named the PODhouse, these prefabricated modules create a great sustainable micro home for the garden, a backyard office or even a secret holiday hideaway. The prototypes have been in development since 2003 and have since been optimized, tested and improved to create this final product now available for purchase. Read More

The Sliding Hub prefabricated cubes join together to create a temporary housing solution f...

Italian Designer Gabriel Aramu has conceptualized a modular housing system that seems to offer endless possibilities. Dubbed "Sliding Hub," these prefabricated cubes join together to create a temporary housing solution for multiple situations. In the event that emergency shelters are required, the modules can be packed and transported to any destination. On arrival, the modules are easily joined together, with the flexibility to house individuals, small groups or large numbers without limitation. Each module incorporates an insulation system suitable for all kinds of weather conditions. In addition, the temporary accommodation units provide a comfortable standard of living, important to natural disaster victims. Read More

The Tetra-Shed as a yard office (Photo: Tetra-Shed)

Now here's an exciting piece of design. At first glance the Tetra-Shed, designed by architect David Ajasa-Adekunle, looks like the ideal hypermodern outdoor studio for the hipster home-worker. That it may be, but the Tetra-Shed's modular design means that (space, money and imagination allowing) there's no limit to the number of units that can be connected together, literally opening up the Tetra-Shed to a vast array of possible uses. Read More

The snail-like building is held together with a carbon fiber truss frame

Designer Christopher Daniel has conceptualized plans for this prefabricated house, which morphs and adapts according to its setting. Dubbed California Roll, the structure is best suited to a desert environment and incorporates a homogeneous exterior which reflects the sun's heat. Read More

The 320 square-foot EDGE house

If small is beautiful, then the 320 square-foot EDGE house from Wisconsin’s Revelations Architects is absolutely gorgeous. EDGE stands for Experimental Dwelling for a Greener Environment, and true to that acronym, the award-winning little modular home includes Earth-friendly features such as rainwater collection, geothermal heating and cooling, air-to-air heat recovery, passive solar windows, and insulated exterior shutter doors that minimize nighttime heat loss. Making the most of every square inch of interior space, the house has multi-functional transformable furniture, plus two overhead bedrooms. It's also made for easy construction and relocation, to the point that the prototype has been assembled, taken apart and moved three times in six months. Read More

Archipod's Pod may be unusual to look at but it's an eco-friendly, energy-efficient garden...

Are you sick and tired of spending valuable time commuting to work and enduring peak-hour traffic and road rage? Well now that most people have access to mobile phones, email, video conferencing and the Internet - the dream of trading in an office job for working from home can become a reality. However, separating work from home life can sometimes be difficult. That’s where the Pod comes in – it might look like an enormous coconut has landed in your garden, but this is a unique garden office that is energy-efficient and environmentally friendly, plus it gives you a designated space in which to work. Read More

The relocatable KITAHAUS Pod

October 10, 2006 As technology evolves, our ability to create remarkable temporary living and working environments has grown considerably, as can be evidenced by our recent stories on relocatable structures such as the off-the-grid home, the Sphere House, the Nackros Villa, the Free Spirit Sphere, the LoftCube and the first mobile hotel room. Now we can add to that the KitaHaus Pod which is designed as a stand-alone accommodation or temporary office and can also be interlink to create unique temporary or permanent living and working environments. The KitaHaus legs are adjustable so it can be situated in almost any site including normally unusable sloped and wooded areas. The construction is of sustainable materials using glulam frame, over boarded in 12mm ply and insulated using Actis super 9 fabric. The entire surface is then tiled using larch timber shingles which will eventually turn a silver grey colour. The pod’s main usage is envisaged as a holiday retreat but clearly it has many possibilities with an anticipated cost of GBP 50,000 to GBP 75,000 depending on volumes. Read More

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