design for flexible spaces in a house

Interesting space solution...I don't like the material used but surely the same idea could work in solid wood?

Imagine this room at night … you wake up from a dream and have no idea in which configuration the room is … now you have to avoid running into one of these movable things.
Or your bed isn't where it should be …
Or the room is in the "studio configuration" and you need something from an inaccessible part.

I am sure one could integrate the same space that these cabinets provide into the room without any movable parts. It might also look better.

Sebastian Köln wrote:Imagine this room at night … you wake up from a dream and have no idea in which configuration the room is … now you have to avoid running into one of these movable things.
Or your bed isn't where it should be …
Or the room is in the "studio configuration" and you need something from an inaccessible part.

I am sure one could integrate the same space that these cabinets provide into the room without any movable parts. It might also look better.

I'm sure one could
Maybe too much movement all together but I can see where one wall might be helpful...we have a sort of guest room/library/work room that only very occasionally gets used for a guest bed and would be nice to have additional book shelves in the middle of the room that could get pushed back to make space for a bed.  

I think this might be the design phase of the idea and could be made to look much nicer with quality materials,etc.

This concept was taken to the ultimate level in Japan a few years back. A single room was converted into the equivalent of a 2000(ish) square foot home, or so it was claimed. He had a bedroom, study, living room, dining room, kitchen, home theater room, and more all on tracks that rolled on tracks suspended from the ceiling. His positioning of the doors made it look like the rooms were unrelated. He was very proud and the home showed well. The frustrations he spoke of were 1) you couldn't use multiple rooms at once, 2) the runners would occasionally jam, and 3) you had to put everything away before accessing another room.

This concept was taken to the ultimate level in Japan a few years back. A single room was converted into the equivalent of a 2000(ish) square foot home,

is this the one?
http://www.treehugger.com/sustainable-product-design/moving-walls-transform-apartment-four-minutes-of-wow-video.html

Well now, it seems it was China.

High five Judith! That's a different video than I'd seen, but yes that's the place. Pretty remarkable what some minds come up with.

Chris Wells wrote:Well now, it seems it was China.

High five Judith! That's a different video than I'd seen, but yes that's the place. Pretty remarkable what some minds come up with.

I like it much better than the one I posted!  It looks as though he lives there by himself...I can imagine losing kids and animals behind those walls.  Love the look and the light and it sure makes sense for those tiny apartments.

I think it would be quite a challenge to make a small space as efficient with built ins, "24 different interior designs in 350 SF". I also think people have done much more work than moving walls around or dropping tables/chairs down, or pulling counter tops out, for less money as in no mortgage or rent payments and home ownership. It's a totally different way of thinking Architectural Designs and living. Some are violating fire & smoke codes and egress window sizes, so codes are needed and being written, looked at even in my small town. The last thing wanted here is air sealing with toxic materials like OSB or even some wood burning stoves. Combined with natural building and energy efficient methods will optimize. Even with large windows the CO foot print would be lower than the average home.  I think I could design a net positive tiny home that produces electric pay back, or these combined with a common renewable energy sub division......Some are design common kitchens and toilets for the low income or homeless. Some are providing homeless shelters.

The big hurdles are being land locked to rural areas with no building codes or that have the required zoning. Most city lots require homes on permanent foundations and hooked to city utilities, and have a minimum square foot of the lot making tiny home sub divisions a challenge.

Check out the statistics on the house here: http://thetinylife.com/what-is-the-tiny-house-movement/

And this recent article: http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/tiny-houses-are-trendy-minimalist-and-often-illegal/

Some towns like Spur, TX USA are using it as an economy booster. http://www.spurfreedom.org/

Some offering purchase, lease purchase over 8 years far better than 30, or rentals.

Find any good design ideas please post. Maybe I'll share a CAD model we can all see if what we can come up with. Thanks Judith, you got me thinking I need to take a closer look at whats going on here

Indeed this an totally different approach.
Besides the very limited space, the weight suddently becomes a relevant aspect. And unless one accepts plastic and fiber composite materials, it requires wooden sail boat building skills.
The atmosphere is also fundamentally different … The houses that I am used (and like) are build of brick. Large amounts of brick. Their thermal mass makes them a cool place during a hot day. The acoustic response is also different.
How would one deal with a long period of sun radiating on a small house? How am I supposed to sleep during a storm when the whole thing begins to move?

And then there is something I don't understand: Why do small (trailer) "houses" have to mimic the big ("real") ones?
Isn't a pitched roof wasted height? (Assuming one wants to pass under some older bridges or use tunnels.)
The same phenomenon arises with houseboats … most of them look like a house, except for the water around. The "boat" part is sometimes neglected. (Which is a pity … sail boats can be beautiful!)

One side effect of "house boats" is that unless you need a permanent location in a city, only ship building regulations apply, which (in Germany) are far less restrictive and actually make sense.
In Hamburg (with the massive amounts of water and ships) it is even possible to legally live on a ship and getting the ships name in your passport as your address.

I do not understand the whole tiny homes on wheels concept when the RV industry has already done that. My 48 toy hauler has a slide out that converts from a kitchen table to a twin bed, the back has a queen bed the goes up on a track to the ceiling so toys can in through the ramp door. Made of metal many steel, mine weighs 22,000 lbs I pull with a Ford F-450.
Boat industry same, I’m sure have had the challenges of big spatial layouts in  small spaces that is being utilized in tiny homes. Why BIG, why not, makes sense. So much wasted space in the average home.

Here check out this luxury liner by Holand: http://waterlovt.com/

With a maintain digester, your organic waste can be recycled and converted to energy?

What? How?

Smart Glass
Must be e-coating” that reflects heat gains automatically.

Advanced Airco
If insulated well should not need much HVAC

Heating and cooling floors.
Cooling? Water circulation?

This one integrated into a pond: http://homeworlddesign.com/newberg-residence-by-cutler-anderson-architects/


http://cutler-anderson.com/project/newberg-residence
I like what they did with kitchen storage on the metal lattice attached to the stairs…so now we have stairs with storage. That’s the kind of thinking that makes it BIG but small.

13’ 6” is the max semi height here is the USA, some brides are lower…..

I’d be shooting for a Gambrel roof since most are counting the upper loft as square foot.

Here is a multi-generational all natural flex or grandma suite highly energy efficient home within a home I have modeled. The idea of taking the suite home and main and turning it into a more efficient spatial to drop the square feet at an affordable cost for the poor and needed very challenging. I'm all ears for more ideas. Homes are worthless without a good floor plan. Look close you'll find two kitchens, laundry, living rooms, etc, in the same dwelling that is a BIG sought after ....Just need to do the same tiny. 2800 Sf I'm have on market @ $140/SF list, because my design kills local competition but the banks are giving me a hard time since they don't understand it. My thoughts combine tiny, energy efficient, natural, multi-gen, at low cost I can get cash for. Major challenge competing with whats on market and finding a location with all complaining about dropping their home values, etc....The challenges designing are easy compared to logistics. I wish it were as easy as the internet makes it seem Put your money on the line then lets talk Better yet I'm currently in San Diego, CA looking for land/partners to do this anywhere in the nation call me @ 316-644 9941 or email @ Terryport@gmail.com. I'm really after rammed earth or tiny experienced trades willing to travel the nation, of course I pay you well. I have aot of world wide contacts and networking, lots of pro knowledge to offer.  

Im looking for a small town like Spur, TX that is suffering from economics from people that can't afford housing: http://www.spurfreedom.org/

Call the city before you call me ask if there is land zoned for tiny homes and building codes can accomidate, banks willing to finance energy efficient mortgages, the city may own or any private party that wants to be a partner if the land is expensive, plated 3 acres or less @ less than 500SF homes will do for now,  over a short term owner carry or assume, or any mortgage. I'll take it from there.  

My first thought to require city utility hook-ups with buy back meters on permanent foundations.