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You’re Not Saving Money…Calm The @#*% Down
We discussed this briefly at this weekend’s Dot Com Pho after we heard the news of a Walmart employee getting trampled to death and shootings breaking out over the Black Friday sales a couple days ago. Seriously, we all agreed that this was pure idiocy…not only for the tragic events that occurred but the [...]
Read Morem-ch: Micro Compact Home
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When it comes to living space, everyone wants more. I mean, folks living in a tiny apartment want a house. People in a house want a bigger house…and it goes on. I mean, we tend to associate luxury and quality of living with “big”.
But hey, leave it to the Europeans to show us small can be cool. I really started with the Smart Fortwo, that tiny two seater car that you might see running around the city these days. It’s a horrible, horrible car but it makes sense in Europe where the roads are narrow and parking space is limited. Researchers from London and Munich are taking this approach to housing, since living space is cramped and expensive in most metropolitan European areas.
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It’s called the m-ch, or the Mobile Compact Home and it really does look like something born in the iPod-era as it’s silverish cube with one large window. The dimensions of the entire thing, made of aluminum, are 266cm cubed, which a little less than 9 by 9 by 9 feet. That’s actually about the size of my room in my house and…well, if I had to stick a bathroom, kitchen and living room into my bedroom, I wouldn’t exactly think it would be livable conditions.
But surprisingly, the m-ch actually looks pretty good. While it isn’t spacious, I don’t think it looks cramped at all. The designers have really thought vertically in the design and not wasting any space. While you certainly aren’t going to have a bowling alley in it, it looks like a nice place to be and I’d say, an upgrade over most apartments two or three times the size. The interior is very Philip Starck. Two people living in it might seem like a pain to move around but there’s enough room for two to sleep (there are two double beds), lounge and eat. The white wood and plastics are a very clean and concise design and I think it’s pretty good looking too. If they let you anodize the aluminum panels for a little personality on the outside, it would be fantastic. I mean, it has flatscreen TV mounts, a dining area for up to five people, a kitchen, a bathroom and it looks like everything slides around and converts like Transformers.
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Each…cube is priced from 25,000EUR to 34,000EUR (about 34k - 46k USD) which is rather cheap considering living costs pretty much anywhere. The problem, really, is finding places to put them. Personally, I think these would make great ski lodges. Put them on the side of the mountain for ski in, ski out and you have a great little vacation home for much less than one of those log cabins. Heck, why buy a mobile home? Slap one of these on a flatbed truck and you’re good to go. One of these near a lake for a fishing lodge would be fun too.
It looks great on the inside and out and costs less than most apartments…what’s not to like?
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How about people sticking it in a flat bed truck and running away with your house and your stuff while you’re out? Or worse…trying to sleep inside? I prefer my house firmly anchored to the ground thanks.
ReplyLooks cool. While I’m not claustrophobic, I couldn’t live in that. No way.
ReplyIt’s cool, but I’m not sure that I could live in it, in the sam way I would not want to travel for long in an RV. Too cramped
Replyit’s a mobile home with an ipod skin… kind of like how my scion is a super-deformed tercel…
but i think your ski lodge idea could work, more in commercial short-term renting. i don’t think i could live in it for a long period of time, but it shows you how much you can do with just a little bit of space!
ReplyI was thinking the same thing: that’s it’s just a glorified trailer park home.
On a side note, since your comparing your Scion to a “super-deformed tercel”, I’m assuming that you drive an xA and the xB cube or the Camry-based tC.
ReplyScion = toaster…or at least that’s what my friend calls his. =)
ReplyNice idea, a little too small for north america. Being 6′3″, I don’t think I would fit too well even if I wanted too. Maybe if they came out with a ‘big and tall’ model.
ReplyI believe the big and tall model is called a house.
Reply*snicker*
I’m right there with you, Jason.
ReplyBeautiful that - almost a mansion!
- Martin Reed
ReplyReminds me of The Pod hotel I stayed in in NY.
Reply