incuTANK: Sharing ideas and innovation.

Over the summer I had spent a lot of time traveling and I had the opportunity to stay in a couple camper-vans and trailer homes. To be honest I have always been intrigued with the concept of living in a small yet ultra-efficient environment. The small space available in a trailer home, has lead to some great innovations in interior design.Many things have multiple uses, for example: the couch is also storage and can form into a guest bed, the kitchen table drops to the seat level to serve as another bed, desks drop down from the wall exposing a bookshelf etc…

I began to think, why not apply this same efficiency of space to a high rise type apartment building. Throw in some Philippe Starck styling, state of the art appliances, and a doorman/concierge and this could be the like Le’ Corbusier’s Cite Radieuse in terms of innovation. I am thinking, self-vacuuming heated floors, functional indoor/outdoor living, and most importantly a focus on sustainable living; grey-water, compost trash shoot, solar/wind energy, etc.. basically the works for an off the grid lifestyle. (Above Photo nabbed from Moco Loco a slick architecture and design site)

I had shared this idea with a friend and she recently forwarded me a link (thanks Niamh ) to a very chic and sustainable pre-fabricated urban housing solution. Here is the video:

I think this concept is amazing and Michelle Kaufmann, the designer, executed really well. Since she mentioned that linking the housing together allows for even greater environmental benefits, I wonder now if it would be possible to stack this concept without taking away to much from its eco-friendly benefits, style, or living comfort.This place could serve as a regular home, or a home away form home for people who wanna keep a foot in the city.