Rooftop Cabins to Solve the Problem of Affordable Urban Living

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Finding an affordable place to live in most large cities across the world is becoming more of a problem everyday. Now a company from Germany has come up with an innovative solution. They would build prefab cabins, called Cabin Spacey (which is also the name of the firm), on top of existing buildings. These homes would be small, but functional and they wouldn’t break the bank.

They are proposing to build them on the rooftops of Berlin, and they estimate that there is room for about 50,000 apartments there. The cabins can also be installed in other suitable locations, such as parks, and so forth. Each Cabin Spacy measures just 215 sq ft (20 sq m) but it can accommodate two people comfortably due to a number of space saving solutions. They are also easy to transport, install and connect to the existing infrastructure.

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The cabins are made in a factory, and it only takes about two days to erect them. The outer shell is made of timber and each structure features a kitchenette/dining area with a foldable table and chairs, a bed and a storage unit. It is powered by solar panels, which are installed into the roof of each cabin, while there is also a battery for storing surplus energy built into the floor. Surplus electricity can also be given off to a nearby building, presumably the one on top of which the cabin is installed. The cabins also feature a smart home system, as well as an efficient heating and cooling system.

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They have recently raised enough funds via an IndieGoGo campaign to build the first prototype, which will serve to gain interest for future commercialization of the cabins. They plan to build the prototype by the end of this year. Lets hope this is true, since it is an interesting concept. Though I can’t quite picture myself weathering out a NYC winter in one of these cabins, so this housing solution might not exactly be universally applicable.

[source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/jetson_green/~3/LI14xkxOdsc/rooftop-cabins-to-solve-the-problem-of-affordable-urban-living.html]

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