Capsule homes : creating space within space

Abstract

Inspired by my final Studio IV project in 2010, the Capsule Hotel, and the growing demand for efficient housing due to overcrowding in developing cities, this thesis explores, examines and realizes the need for compact homes. The need of reducing a small living space to the bare necessities, whilst allowing consumers to quickly transform and personalize the function requires great understanding of space efficiency and construction methods. Realizing a carefully designed space is one thing, but actually understanding how or why it is put together in a particular way is another. In this day and age, architects tend to create with the intention of purely design and often forget to consider and fully understand how the pieces actually come together, often leaving such tasks to contractors to "work out". What would happen to the design industry if consumers were not only able to customize and assemble their own apartment furniture, but at the same time get involved in the design of their furniture units? How would this impact consumers as well as the industry? The driving force behind Capsule Homes is to design a product that will provide users with the everyday amenities that can be transformed and customized, whilst involving the consumers in the affordable construction process. My thesis acts as a design proposal for introducing a new method of designing and customizing living spaces, whilst involving the consumer in the process from ordering units to understanding the construction methods, to ultimately living in a customizable quarters. Based on my research and analysis, I will construct a 1/4-scale prototype of thoroughly designed, flat-pack, customizable furniture.