I’m always on the look out for housing solutions and ideas that can put a dent in that 16 million unit deficit we have here in Nigeria, and I must say this just might be one. For an affordable 3 bedroom bungalow or single storey residence this POP UP HOUSE by multi-pod studio in Aix-en-Provence, France takes the cake.
It covers about 150 sqm and has all the basic amenities that a small family would require. Here’s how the architects/developer describes it- Four days and a wireless screwdriver are all you need to build the structure of a Pop-Up House. The house, compiled of insulating blocks and wooden panels, delivers affordable thermal insulation like you’d never believe.
Multipod Studio have patented a unique approach to passive construction that delivers outstanding thermal insulation at an affordable cost. No special tools required, the house is assembled using lightweight and recyclable materials for quick installation. The materials used are inexpensive so the cost remains unbeatable and the thermal envelope created means no additional heating is necessary. The first prototype of this new type of passive house, has bloomed in the pine valleys of the South of France. The Pop-Up House is an innovative concept that aims to challenge passive house construction. Low cost, recyclable and passive, the Pop-Up House has all of the qualities of tomorrow’s homes.
A tropical adaptation of this concept may need some level of adjustment to the planning and the structure, but I believe the general scale, principle and approach would prove supremely viable in this clime. Though the technology and materials are not what we’re used to in these parts, there is a need to begin to consider dry construction techniques and some degree of prefabrication which will ultimately drive construction cost down and cater to the deficit.
