An Austin-based startup has created a prototype of a prefabricated micro dwelling that can be slotted into a framework like a bottle into a wine rack.
The micro-housing startup called Kasita – adapted from the Spanish word for a small house – was launched by a professor-turned-entrepreneur who once lived in a dumpster.
At the South by Southwest conference in March 2016, the company unveiled its first dwelling: the 319-square-foot (30 square metres) Model One house.
The mobile structure is a rectilinear pod clad in metal and glass, with one side featuring a cantilevered glazed box.
It is intended to slot horizontally into an engineered steel frame, or "rack", which can include a many units stacked high and wide.
Designed to be assembled in under a week, each Kasita would be able to swap between different racks.
Owners with mobile lifestyles could contact the company to have the home transported to a new location, using a crane and flatbed truck.
Once in place, the home would tie into city utilities via a special docking technology. "The utilities are distributed throughout the rack to each individual Kasita," the company said.
Features include a smart thermostat by Nest – the domestic technology company that Google acquired in 2014 – and a voice-controlled Echo speaker by Amazon.
The design also calls for wireless LED lighting system and electrochromic windows that automatically turn from opaque to transparent, depending upon the outdoor lighting conditions.
The open-plan interior has 10-foot-high ceilings (three metres). The kitchen offers standard amenities such as a dishwasher, an induction cooktop and a convection oven, while the sleeping area is fitted with a queen-sized mattress.
The company is working to develop wall panels that will accommodate shelving, bike racks and storage.
"Kasita is designed for a variety of individuals at different places in their life," the company said. "From college kids in need of student housing, to urban millennials, to those enjoying retirement – Kasita is the perfect home."
from dezeen