Company offers easy-to-assemble 'microhome' with bedroom, bathroom and kitchen that costs just $25,000
- - 10ft by 10ft home is sent in flat-pack boxes and assembled by the owner
- - Uses lightweight but durable materials and comes with solar panels and rainwater
collection system to minimize carbon footprint - - Canadian company is now raising funds to test out prototypes
By LYDIA WARREN
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'Easy-to-assemble' labels might adorn boxes for flat-pack beds or bookshelves - but for a house?
A Canadian company has designed a sleek 10ft by 10ft 'micro-home' with a bedroom, bathroom and kitchen that can be sent anywhere in the world and assembled within days.
And the company, based in Vancouver, claims that not only is the tiny property space effective, but it's also cost effective - priced between $25,000 and $28,000 - and good for the environment, too.
The house has been designed and built but now the company, NOMAD, is seeking funding through an online campaign to test prototypes and develop infrastructure for larger scale production.
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A (small) place to call home: Canadian company NOMAD has designed a $25,000 10ft by 10ft 'micro-home' that can be shipped
anywhere in the world and assembled easily by its new owners within days
The two-storey home features a living room, snug kitchen and toilet room on the ground floor, and steps lead to a double bed and closet on the first floor.
The smart interiors make the most of the space, fitting a bed beneath a slanted roof and the stairs above the kitchen sink. The bathroom doubles as a shower while storage can be used as seating.
The exterior comes with an optional deck that wraps around two sides of the home, adding a few extra feet, and it can also be fitted with outdoor storage lockers or sun shades.
NOMAD explains that the micro-home can be shipped anywhere on the planet and can be assembled within days.
Snug: The home is fitted with a living room, kitchen and bathroom on the ground floor of the structure
Home: It is light enough to ship but durable enough to insulate and protect against the elements
Upstairs: It also makes the most of its space - doubling up storage units as seats here in the bedroom
Compact: The designers say the small home gives a green, cost-effective way to live and simplify your life
It means that the property is lightweight - reducing assembly time and shipping costs - and yet durable, protecting the owners from fire, moisture and termites.
They have used light, specialized layered wall panels that minimize the need for heat. The home is also fitted with solar panels and a rainwater collection system to lessen the owners' energy use.
The company says the home can be built in urban or rural landscapes and could be used as a home office or studio. It could even be used for shelters in disaster zones.
By opting for a 'build-your-own' feature, rather than a factory assembling the home, the property's costs are drastically reduced, the company explains on its website.
In a promotional video, NOMAD's president Ian Kent explains that the micro-home is a solution to the problem of costly, limited housing.
In the mail: The walls, windows and counters are sent flat-pack to the owners along with the faucet
Sleek: Sketches show the storage space in the kitchen beneath stairs that lead to the bedroom
Making the most of the space: The bathroom, on the ground floor, also doubles as a shower room
Neighborhood: The designers said the units could be used for a work space or studio in urban or rural settings, and could even be used
for quick housing during natural disasters or developing countries
'The world would be a better place if housing was more affordable and accessible to everyone,' he said. 'But the reality is that supply and demand has made it too expensive for most - at least for the sized house we're accustomed to.
'If houses were smaller, more efficient and easier to build, this reality could change.'
He said that already people are shaking up their living spaces to build smaller homes that give them a simpler lifestyle across North America, Europe and the United Kingdom.
'They've taken stock of their daily lives, then dismantled and reassembled them to reflect a new personal philosophy,' he said.
NOMAD hopes to raise $120,000 online to develop the project. It has raised $23,000 so far.
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