Dornob | Design Ideas Daily

Tiny Houses Give Slum Dwellers a Safe Home in Just One Day

Posted: 01 May 2013 10:00 AM PDT

An astonishing one billion people of the world’s population lives in informal communities – sometimes known as shantytowns, tent cities or, if you’re really going for the jugular, slums. Doug Sharp, president and chairman of BSB Design, came up with a tiny, inexpensive home for slum dwellers that can be built in less than one day by one family.

Abod is a sustainable home built from lightweight materials that can easily be delivered by truck, plane or ship. It’s made mostly of non-combustible materials so it carries a low risk of fire (a real concern in communities where kerosene lighting is common). And if the family ever needs to move, the home can be very easily relocated.

The homes are affordable and so flexible in design that they can be easily modified to the needs of each individual inhabitant. Privacy walls, loft expansions, kitchen units, toilet/shower/bath units, unique flooring, and window walls are just some of the possible add-ons to the standard 10′ X 12′ structure. The homes can easily be connected to form mini-communities or even modified to house businesses.

The need for safe housing goes beyond simply protecting residents from the elements. A micro-community of Abod homes could provide the sanitation and stability needed to combat the spread of deadly illnesses in impoverished areas. The community could engender a greater sense of protection from violence and help residents connect with one another. The pride of home ownership can go a long way toward building safer, stronger, healthier communities – no matter where in the world the homes are located.

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Book Vase: Surprise Sprouts Right Out of Reading Collection

Posted: 30 Apr 2013 04:00 PM PDT

As your guests inevitably scan your favorite volumes, they note with alarm (then a laugh) that one of them seems to be inexplicably sprouting a plant.

YOY Design Studio (images by Yasuko Furukawa) introduces this small surprise subtly, letting you slot a vase right along side other books on the shelf.

Upon inspection, a simple and plain white volume (with a barely-invisible embossed title) opens to reveal a transparent container so you can pop it off the shelf ‘read’ what is happening between the covers as desired.

“A book shaped ﬂower pot. It can be used both [in isolation] and with books lined in order. It is made of PMMA and PVC for waterprooﬁng. By opening the cover page it stands stably and you can see the soil inside. The title of the book is "THE LIFE OF PLANTS".”

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