The Smallest House On Earth
Most cities are (becoming) overcrowded these days, and while (too) many people are homeless, there’s often no space to construct additional housing. On the one hand, we see houses becoming increasingly bigger, while on the other hand a countertrend of ‘tiny houses‘ is growing. What we should ask ourselves: how much space do we need to live in?
1SQM House is a project by designer Van Bo Le-Mentzel in collaboration with urban think tank BMW Guggenheim Lab. For a special design festival by BMW Guggenheim Lab, Le-Mentzel developed a mobile house that’s no larger than one square meter! The 1SQM House is a wooden, waterproof construction with a slide-window, a lockable slide-door and a small desk. Furthermore, it offers a chair and a matress (180×70 cm). How that fits inside? Easy! You can simply turn the 1SQM House on its side, which allows you to lay down comfortably.
Even better is that there are small wheels underneath the house, and with its 40kg, it can be moved quick and easily. You can literally take it anywhere: put it in the back of your car, an elavator, or bring it with you wandering through the city. 1SQM House allows you to ‘live’ and wake up wherever you want: in a park, along the water, or in the hustle and bustle of downtown. You can’t buy a 1SQM House, but you can build one yourself: Le-Mentzel has put up the building plans for free, which you can retrieve in exchange for an inspiring story or photo of your 1SQM House. If you’re not sure yet whether living like this would be your thing, simply book a 1SQM House on Airbnb and try it out for just €1 a night!
According to Le-Mentzel, the 1SQM House offers everything you need: a place to work, relax, and sleep. At the same time, because of its mobility, it allows you to view ‘the world as your backyard’ and ‘the city as your living room’. The 1SQM House offers a new dimension to living, and could be an interesting solution to issues such as housing problems, overcrowded cities or homelessness. Ask yourself again: how much space do you really, really need to live your life in?
