Micro Dwellings!!

After doing our first Industrial design models we are now going to move into "Micro Dwelling". First of, What is Micro Dwelling? in a short answer, micro dwelling is having a limited amount of space but at the same time having all amenities a normal sized dwelling would have.

Dr. Hill showed us a clip of Gary Chang, a Chinese architect, who in his Hong Kong apartment, had everything he needed in 344 sq. ft. All he needs to do is move a wall and he'll have a kitchen, or a TV room. If he wanted to sleep, all he did was pull his bed down from another wall. When it was daytime, he transformed the bed into a sofa. He did many other amazing things with such little space. Link to Gary Chang's "Domestic Transformer" : http://www.flixxy.com/apartment-transformation.htm

I once found an article, not of the same house/apartment, in which they talked about a prefabricated house which can also be mentioned as a Micro Dwelling example.  I'm not a big fan of micro Dwelling. Maybe because I have it in my head that in order to live in something of the like it is necessary to be organized, something which I'm not! I have also been a huge fan of space. You can never go wrong with to much space in my eyes. However, I do admire and understand the practicality of having everything one needs and wants in a small area. I also believe that it may even be the future in architecture. Now and in the future, the population of Earth is going to increase and the construction space would become very limited. Therefore many would resort into becoming "Micro Dwellers".

Exterior of a Micro Dwelling example. It consists of 3 floors.

Interior. You can also see the way the floors connect by a ladder.

I like this example because it embodies what micro dwelling can be. This design has great use of space and at the same time is unusual and unique. It reminds me if Lincoln Log houses I built as a child.  It is a loft styled design which allows the control of temperature and the façade permits a great amount of light into the dwelling. Another thing I enjoy is the how the exterior contradicts the interior. 

The façade is metal and glass. Metal is a material known to be cold but in extreme heats it expands and can be molded into any form. I believe that the metal isn't intimate. It is a material that doesnt create that "homey" feeling. On the other hand, Wood is a very cozy material. It is more natural and closer to the earth than metal, and being near raw materials helps us feel grounded and secure, it creates that "home" fealling we are searching. That is whay I like this house. On the outside it isn't very inviting except for its unsual design. While on the inside it's the exact opposite it almost invites you to explore the area while keeping you connected to yourself.