precious dwelling: City Sickness.

10 years ago i could have never imagined myself returning to the countryside –that’s where i grew up– but the older i get the sicker i become about living in the city. It’s not that i wanna give up living in the city forever, but i am actually considering the idea of owning a little retreat on the countryside where i can turn to whenever i feel like. There are so many beautiful paradise places near berlin with lots of lakes and forests and the chances are supposed to be good to find a place like this for your own. That’s why i lately did some research for small affordable but stylish prefab houses that could be used as retreats and that are preferably modular and maybe even mobile. (Think of moving your house every once in a while to another lakeshore or forest whenever you get bored with the landscape or annoyed with your neighbors!) I always thought that the market of prefab houses fail to meet the desires of people like me who appreciate a modernist design aesthetic and if then it’s beyond financial reach. Surprisingly my research proofed that there are actually quite a few architects experimenting in this field though most of the projects are still ‚in development’ and not available for purchase yet, but some of them even are.

UPDATE: I am planning to post more of these dwelling concepts (new category: precious dwelling) every once in a while since i believe that innovative mobile and modular living-concepts are becoming more and more popular in our society of flexibility-demanding, independent and hard-working individuals.

1. The micro compact home [m-ch]

Costs: 25.000 –34.000 EUR (excludes delivery, includes all interiors),
Designed by: A group of researchers and designers based in London and Munich.
The [m-ch] is supposed to be an answer to an increasing demand for short stay living for students, business people and for weekeneders, inspired by japanese living-conditions and by ‚less is more’.
More information..

2. Pinc House, SPORT

Costs: 55.000 - 390.000 EUR (depends on size)
Designed by: Swedish design agency Pinc (Maria Rutensköld, Johan Lionell and Jan Rutensköld).
Pinc have 5 different prefab houses (SPORT, BLACK BARN, PACIFIC, DELIGHT66, XTR). I like the SPORT house a lot with its warm wooden skin and interiors and the more classic weekend cottage approach.
More Information..

3. The weeHouse

Costs: starts at 45.000 $ (depends on size)
Designed by: Alchemy Architects
The robust weeHouse is a modular house concept. The modules can be combined and customized to your own needs (add and change modules as you like).
More information..

4. miniHOME SOLO

Costs: base price 107.000 $
Designed by: Andy R. Thomson and Daniel Hall
The glamour version of trailer park trash! The miniHome ‘SOLO” is classified as a ‘Travel Trailer’ in Canada and does not require a police escort for transit roadways. Intended as a completely autarkic ecological trailer with a 50-year life expectancy, the miniHome offers the possibility of year-round, affordable living on almost any site.
More information..

5. NhEW PAD

Costs: ?
Designed by: Tanja Jordan (COPENHAGENOFFICE), Linda Taalman and and Alan Koch (TK-architects)
This one might be the future of camping culture: „NhEW (NorthousEastWest) is a project dealing with architectural space tailored as an item of clothing - the space encountered between the kayak and the Internet, NhEW is a nomadic dwelling prototype combining economy and comfort. A unit adapted to the needs of the individual, made of lightweight materials for easy transportation, assembly and disassembly. Offering a wide range of possible materials, for different looks, climates and functions, the user specifies the individual needs and desires the structure is to satisfy.“
More information..

6. Small House / Option

Costs: 87.000 EUR (for one module, including some kitchen and sanitation fixtures)
Designed by: Bauart Architekten, Architectureforsale
Minimal swiss container-like house with large windows that is adaptable to different needs (from independent house for one person to growing family home). The main objects for this project were versatility, ease of transport and simple assembly.
More information..

7. m-house

Costs: 95.000 £ (2 bedroom fully fitted-out as shown on web-site)
Designed by: Tim Pyne
This lightweight house can be delivered anywhere in the world, packed into two standard shipping containers! It also meets the UK definition of a caravan or trailer. The exterior skin can be varied to suit your taste or the nature of the site (aluminium, cedar strips or shingles, different paintings or printed aluminium).
More information..

So which one is your personal favourite? :-)