Micro-Compact House
by Justin Thomas, Virginia 
on 08.22.05
This "Micro-Compact Home" was inspired by the compact spaces in first-class airplane cabins, and the classic scale and order of a Japanese tea house. They are lightweight, transportable, and cost 50,000 Euros. They are an interesting, if extreme, exercise in making efficient use of indoor space. The tiny cube provides a double bed on an upper level and working table and dining space for four or five people on a lower level.
The kitchen bar is accordingly arranged to serve these two levels. The entrance lobby has triple use and functions as a bathroom and drying space for clothing. Storage is provided off each of these four functioning spaces.
They will be installed in a "village" on campus at the Technical University of Munich, were they were designed.
:: Micro-Compact Home via We Make Money Not Art
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While I admire their ingenuity, when will it dawn on designers that it's a lot more efficient (in terms of space utilization, material use, economics, etc) to construct personal living spaces to function solely as private space, and to share all the other services (eg, kitchen, bathroom, entertainment, etc)?
Sixty thousand dollars is a lot to ask for such a small living space.
50k Euro is insane for a cabin. Unless it's significantly more efficient than the $6000 straw bale based homes that last just as long, it seems like a waste.
I may be off the mark on this, but where I come from people have been living in "compact houses" for years. Those "houses" also have wheels on them and are a nightmare in tornadoes.
Hey! Just like a Manhattan apartment... With out the roaches... And without Manhattan. Hmmm...
Does the MCH have an emergency flatulance exhaust fan or is that extra? What about stackable guestquarters?
If you are interested in more reasonably priced tiny housing, here is another company getting a lot of press.