microfab

While prefab architecture is all the rage, it's disappointing how a technology developed to be affordable is increasingly too expensive to meet needs beyond the collecting and vacation-home needs of the well-to-do. So I like the thinking behind projects like the Urban Nomad Shelter and the Danish collective n55's Micro Dwellings. The latter are modular spaces that can be expanded to match the needs of growing (or shrinking) families, and can be placed on rooftops or submerged entirely or partially underwater. With each pod taking the form of truncated octahedrons, the units can be reconfigured, created from affordable materials (in this case steel), and can take advantage of durable geometric forms. Options include wheels for mobile uses and add-on storage units and rooftop greenhouses.