Thursday, October 4, 2007

Spaceboxes in a Grounded World


These modular housing units are the solution to one of Netherlands most pertinent problems: housing. Known as Spaceboxes, these units come prefabricated from a Dutch factory. Once on site they are lifted by crane and can be stacked two units deep and up to four units high. The low-cost studios come equipped with a kitchen, toilet, and shower in addition to a sleeping/living area. The Spaceboxes are made of composite materials designed by Mart de Jong of design office De Vijf in Rotterdam and have been installed in several other locations throughout the Netherlands, and futher installations are planned in the USA and UK. The playful colors of the units work well on the college campus of De Uithof in the town of Utrecht where inhabitants enjoy the privacy and community within the 3 installations and the spaceboxes remain at the top of the university's request logs. The playfulness of the units are a welcome contrast to the drab student housing seen on other college campuses.

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