Bunk Bed Building: Nested Bunk Beds Make Room for Playtime, Sleep 20
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 03.25.08

Designed as a way to create a living space for 7-8 people in 36 square meters (that's about 387 square feet), the "Nested Bunk Bed" is designed as a flexible solution to a common living situation in South Africa. The design, inspired by the iconic Russian Matroichka dolls that also inspired this cool living concept, won the 36sqm Challenge, as well as a red dot award late last year.

Each bed is fitted with a single mattress, and the whole "bunk bed building" sleeps five and also functions as grandstand-style seating and as a couple of sofa-like seating options; when not in use, the bed can fold away to provide more room. 4 bed sets, sleeping a total of 20, were installed in an AIDS orphanage in Wellington, South Africa, through an initiative set up by the design competition sponsors.

200 more bunk beds are in planned for production this year for other orphanages in the area, and will eventually be available to the public -- they're saying by April -- once the factory is up and running. The design was conceived by ::Tsai Design Studio
See also: ::Lollipop: Hide-Away Bunk Bed System, ::Transformer Furniture: Sofa Into Bunk Bed, ::BEDUP: The Space-Saving Bed that Falls From the Ceiling and ::Less is More: Murphy Bed/Desk/Closet All in One























Those beds are so cool! I could totally see some of my friends with big families getting this, it leaves so much free space when all the beds are inside. So innovative.
Not a bad concept for a multi-purpose bed. A real space saver and can accomodate a lot of people!
I love this idea -- what a great way to make room for lots of guest in a small footprint!
The idea is so creative
! But how to fix the bed so that it won't move when sleep on it?
http://www.madeinchina.com
This is great until someone in the middle tiers has to get up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom. It seems like it could be difficult unless you're a flexible and non-clumsy person.
This is an old idea... it's been used for years by religious families in Israel. With anywhere from 6 to 15 kids per family, and limited resources, stacking bunkbeds is the only way to fit all the kids - and sometimes grandparents - in one tiny apartment.
What a super spacesaver! I'd get it but first i need to produce three more kids to make it worth my while :). And somebody better not have to use the loo while all the bunks are occupied, unless it is a family of gymnasts!
Dreama- Each person uses the ladder at the head and foot of the bed. No stumbling down the hill to visit the bog.