Foldable Houses
From homes you can order off of Amazon to bio-houses, moving sail-bridges, and natural skyscrapers, architecture seems to be getting more futuristic with each passing day. In the latest development in remarkable architecture, Italian architect Renato Vidal has developed a foldable earthquake-proof house, which comes prefabricated and takes less than a single day to install.
Known as the M.A.Di home, this A-shaped house can be folded down completely flat, making it easy and economical to ship. Additionally, these homes are built specifically to withstand earthquakes using cross-laminated timber, or CLT.
The M.A.Di home comes in a variety of sizes, including a 27-sq m (290-sq ft) tiny home, a 46-sq m (495-sq ft) or 56-sq m (603-sq ft) double home, and a 70-sq m (753-sq ft) or 84-sq m (904-sq ft) triple family house. At all sizes, these homes come with two levels, a kitchen, a dining area, a bathroom, and bedroom(s).
The tiny module costs €21,600 (US$25,195), while the largest runs for €67,200 (US$73,385). Compare that to the average cost of buying a new home in the United States, which in October 2017 was $400,200.
Advanced Living
Domenico Antonucci from Area Legno, the Italian wood specialist that manufactures the M.A.Di, told New Atlas: "Thanks to the home's steel profile and steel hinges we can open and close this module with ease. When the module is closed and folded for transportation the packed height measures 1.5 m (4.9 ft), and then when it is opened on site, it has a height of 6.5 m (21.3 ft)."
As urban areas continue to crowd and economic struggles seem only to grow, simplistic, compact, economic housing innovations like the M.A.Di home could be a vision of the future. Since it doesn't require any ground-level foundations, this house can act as either a temporary or permanent structure, moving and folding flexibly with those who live inside of it.
This home folds up so neatly and compactly that it can even be folded and kept in storage as emergency housing or as an investment for the future. Modules can also be joined together, so owners of these homes could grow the home with their families.
As our world grows and changes, so does what we require from our housing. This and other futuristic housing solutions are perfect examples of this changing housing narrative.
Share This Article