Terreform and the urban housing revolution
Housing is the largest concern for architects in urban areas with continual population increases. Keeping up with the demand for affordable and energy efficient habitats has become a major design challenge. In the Terreform segment, Dr. Mitchell Joachim and his team have come up with a design concept for movable houses, which would decrease energy consumption while increasing urban mobility.
However hi-rise apartment buildings are more the norm in urban areas than single or two-family houses. What if instead of movable houses someone designed an apartment with movable walls? In Hong Kong, Architect Gary Chang has developed the “Domestic Transformer” apartment unit, which converts a small 344-square-foot apartment into 24 different rooms. With movable partitioned walls, Mr. Chang’s space can transform into any number of living spaces including a large gourmet kitchen, a game room, master bedroom and home spa. At a cost of $218,000 for renovations, the design is more within reach for the average middle-class urban family than owning a one-family home in most suburban areas.
(Photo credit: Getty Images)
As the cost of land increases and urban space becomes limited, designs like the “Domestic Transformer” may become a more popular alternative to urban living. Do you agree with Terreform’s ideas of mobile communities, Chang’s transformer apartments or do you have another design alternative in mind?
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