dreaming of other places

ÁPH80 series by architectural firm ÁBATON.

the ÁPH80 series of prefabricated homes can be transported by road & placed almost anywhere.  ideal for use as forest cabins & small private retreats, these minimal dwellings retain the proportions of a larger house, as they are designed to provide a sense of spaciousness & comfort since the architects have managed to include a living room/kitchen area, a fully equipped bathroom & a double bedroom in the 27 sq. meters of indoor space.
the house is actually lighter than it looks, since solid timber has been used for the structure & interior surfaces, while the outside has been covered with gray cement wood boards that also function as window shutters. when closed, the grey panels can seal the house completely, making it appear like one solid sculptural volume.
ÁBATON was founded by camino alonso, carlos alonso & ignacio lechón in 1998 & was awarded the torre sostenible prize in 2009 in recognition of its commitment to sustainability & protecting the environment.
if only i could run away......

marfa weeHouse

marfa weeHouse by alchemy architects + geoffrey warner + AIA. west, texas, usa.  so love pre-fabs!

ikea flat-pack refugee shelters

the ikea foundation has been working with the UN refugee agency (UNHCR), which currently houses displace people in traditional ridge tents or more modern hoop tents, neither of which provide insulation or lasts more than a few months.

"many of the current shelters used in refugee camps have a life span of approximately six months before the impact of sun, rain & wind means it needs to be replaced. yet long-term refugee situations mean that, on average, refugees stay in camps for 12 years," says ikea.

designed to last 3 years, the prototype shelter from ikea is a shed-like structure made of lightweight polymer panels, laminated with thermal insulation, which clip onto a steel frame.

the shelters take 4 hours to assemble & come flat-packed with panels, pipes, connectors & wires in cardboard boxes just like an ikea bookcase. there's also a textile sheet with aluminium woven into the material that lays over the roof, reflecting the sun during the day & keeping heat in a night. a solar panel laminated on a thin plastic film powers built-in lights & a USB outlet.

at 17.5 square meters, the shelter is twice as large as a traditional refugee tent & each one accommodates five people. the upright walls mean the structure could be upgraded over time, for example by adding earth walls or a metal roof.

the firm hopes they could be made for around £655 each once in mass production.  ikea's refugee housing unit is manufacturing 50 trial shelters to be tested in ethiopia, iraq & lebanon.

micro-house

micro-house by studio liu lubin. beijing, china.

the micro-house is based on the minimum space needed for basic indoor movement. the micro house can be used as a single functional room or grouped together as a housing suite, or residential cluster.

the main material is fiber reinforced form composite which is light but strong making the unit easy to lift & assemble by hand. the size of the unit is designed as the size of standardized containers for convenient transportation. the micro-house makes it possible for people to have private housing under the current chinese land policy.

cabañas morerava

cabañas morerava by aata arquitectos easter island, chile.

the moreava cabins are located on easter island, a special territory off chile & home to rapa nui national park.  they were prefabricated on the continent to avoid waste & optimize tinder, the primary building material. they are elevated on poles that create low impact on the land & prevent humidity from penetrating the interiors. because of the subtropical climate, aata designed a gap between the wood of the huts' ceilings & the zinc roofs that allows cool cross-ventilated air to blow freely. rainwater is collected & stored for re-use in the cabins & solar collectors provide the right temperature for water to use in the kitchens & toilets. go here to rent one.

mudgee tower - permanent camping

mudgee tower - permanent camping by casey brown architecture. mudgee nsw.

looks like paradise.  

located on a remote pristine mountain on a sheep station in central western NSW, this structure was the realization of a dream for the client. situated at the edge of a ridge surrounded by large granite boulders & ancient dead trees, the tower has panoramic views for hundreds of miles to the horizon.

conceived as a retreat for one or two people, the building is a 3X3m 2-storey copper clad shelter. the sides open up on the ground level to provide wide verandahs to the north, east & western elevations. to the south is a water tank & the winches that operate the moveable verandah roofs.  when not in use, the roofs close down to completely enclose the timber & glass interior protecting it from the elements - especially brush fires.

inside the structure is crafted from recycled ironbark. there is a sleeping loft & small kitchen with a rais wood fired slow combustion stove.

water is collected on the roof & a separate WC, also in copper clad hardwood, is located a short walk to the west. the structure is heavily insulated from both the cold winds & searing daytime temperatures with multi-layered walls that are ventilated at the top & bottom to allow free air movement.

due to the isolated nature of the building site it was prefabricated by the builder jeffery broadfield in sydney & transported to the site.