These Fully Customizable Modular Cabins Are Inspired by Minecraft Gaming

Thanks to a year of unexpected circumstances, many people are now finding themselves working from home. While some have necessarily kept their home office set-up light and mobile in order to be able to move workspaces at a whim, others have gone the more permanent route and converted guest bedrooms (or even an unused closet) into dedicated spaces for getting productive. But more often than not, finding a quiet place to focus on work or attend a Zoom meeting can be a challenge, especially for those who have young children at home.

One possible solution – if one has some space out in a backyard – would be to install some kind of small structure that's devoted only to work. We have seen these so-called "office sheds" before – some might come prefabricated, while others are more of the bespoke kind. But such options might not be versatile enough for those looking for multifunctional spaces for a variety of purposes. Based out of London, England, JaK Studio is one company that's offering a flexible, modular solution: their HOM3 system features a kit of modules that can be swapped around and reconfigured in a variety of ways to suit the unique needs of users – whether they need a home office, a home gym or an extra guest bedroom.

Inspired by the modular building system behind Minecraft, one of the most popular online video games of all time, JaK Studio's HOM3 (short for "Home Office Module Cubed") was conceived as a fully modular, customizable option. As Jacob Low, director of JaK Studio, explains:

"There has been a growing trend in recent years for garden sheds and outhouses that can be used flexibly as work or leisure spaces, and the pandemic has only accelerated this. During lockdown, our team became fascinated by the principles of games such as Minecraft which allow people to transform and customize their environments, and we began experimenting with the idea of customizable, modular micro-architecture. HOM3 transports what we found in the gaming world to the physical space, offering a really unique design solution for modern living."

The HOM3 system starts with a basic 1.5 by 1.5 meter (4.9 feet by 4.9 feet) block module that costs $1,193 (€1000). Modules are made with materials like wood and cork that are sustainably sourced or recycled.

In addition, the modules are designed with Passivhaus principles in mind and therefore are highly insulated, with heating, cooling and a decent level of air quality maintained with a heat recovery system.

The HOM3 system offers a range of customizable options: from fixtures, furnishings to interior and exterior finishes, as well as the overall size and shape. The modules can also be easily mounted on a trailer and transported to a different site.

If a change in situation calls for modifications, the HOM3 system is designed so that modules can be easily added, removed or repurposed, so that waste is reduced.

As JaK studio's creative director Nedzad Sahovic points out, this real-world flexibility is inspired by the virtual flexibility of Minecraft:

"Being a gamer myself, I have watched my friends build endless houses and buildings within Minecraft. During lockdown downtime, it dawned on me that this way of creating virtual architecture could be a great way for people to build truly flexible and adaptable pieces of micro-architecture for themselves."

Besides the physical system itself, JaK Studio is partnering up with indie game company AI Interactive to create and launch an interactive platform later in the summer that would allow users to easily design their own HOM3 set-up. To help offset the carbon footprint of manufacturing and transporting the modules, and to support local communities, around 1 to 3 percent of each sale will be donated to plant a tree, or to donated directly support one of soon-to-be listed charities on the HOM3 website.

To see more, visit JaK Studio and HOM3.