Thursday, November 7, 2013

Micro-Homes for The Developing World

Earlier this week I saw a post from My Modern Metropolis about a Sustainable Micro Home the Costs
Less than $30,000. First of all, that is a lot of money, and the promotion of these homes could have done without the price tag. This dollar amount is important, because while the idea of micro homes can be a selling point for individuals in an urban environment, they also are a source of opportunity for advancing sanitary and health promoting environments in low economic areas in developing countries, especially if there is the opportunity to begin making and selling the home’s components in the area where they will be placed. The home is built by NOMAD, and a Vancouver-based designer named Ian Lorne Kent. As I mentioned, it is his intent to supply the home, which can be mobile, for an affordable price that is less than $30,000. If it becomes cost-effective the residence integrates all of the basic rooms in a standard home—into a 10' x 10' space. Beyond residence, this design of the Micro Home can eventually be used in developing countries for mobile health clinics and other vital services. Additionally, the opportunity to great an energy station from solar power or alternative energy production tools could create additional benefits if the home is used in the context of the developing world.

This IKEA type model, which has a direction of a luxury feel, should begin to transform itself away from the niche of design, and reach for the need for function that a mobile building, that is quick to build and has amenities, can do in a developing country. It is the designer’s goal to produce an efficient home, which he has done. Whether he has set the ground work for a potential new wave of housing in the developing world will be up to him.

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