Finding adequate and affordable housing is a problem faced by hoards of students at the beginning of each school year. To help solve this problem, University of British Columbia (UBC) has come up with a plan to begin constructing several very small student-housing units, which will be cozy and private, judging by the pictures.
The Nano suites, as they are called, will measure just 140 sq ft (13 sq m) each, and will cost about $500 per month to rent. Each of the units will feature a kitchen area with a hob and a sink, a living and sleeping area, as well as a bathroom, equipped with a shower, sink and toilet. The units will be rented out fully furnished and will feature a specially-designed bed. The latter can be converted into a desk, while the rooms will also feature a storage space with a clothes rail. High-speed internet will be available in all rooms, and the facility will also feature bicycle storage, a games room, meeting rooms, music practice rooms, study lounges and a fitness center.
The units will be located on campus, which further raises their appeal. Coupled with the affordable rent of the units should see them sell out in no time. They have already built a full-scale mock-up of a Nano suite, and it is currently being displayed to UBC students. They also have plans to construct a 70-unit pilot dorm by 2019. Given the scarcity of student housing, and the tiny size of the units, it would seem that three years is an awful long time to build the first of these student units. Though I suppose universities across the world are slow movers.
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