Dornob | Design Ideas Daily

Sculptural Portable House Covered in Closable Panels

Posted: 15 Dec 2013 08:00 AM PST

Cement Panel Portable House 1

At first glance, this small structure in an archetypal house shape doesn’t look very inviting. Covered in cement board panels and entirely closed up, the house doesn’t appear to have doors or windows at all. But that’s part of what makes it so portable. The APH80 series of prefabricated small houses by architectural firm ABATON is made to be easily shipped on the back of a truck.

Cement Panel Portable House 3

Cement Panel Portable House 2

Designed to go virtually anywhere, this little getaway maintains the proportions of an average-sized home complete with a living room, kitchen, bathroom and double bedroom, packed into just 27 square meters (290 square feet.)

Cement Panel Portable House 4

Though it appears to be extremely heavy and solid, it’s actually made of lightweight grey cement wood boards that open to reveal glazed windows and doors, opening the home to the outside to multiply the available living space.

Cement Panel Portable House 5

The interior is clad in solid timber for a homey, substantial feel, and as small as the home is, it still has a closed-off bedroom for a sense of privacy.

Keep Going - Check Out These Great Related Dornob Articles:

Green For Your Home? Funky Fake Grass-Covered House

Mouse Trap House: Windowless Facade, Pop-Top Surprise

Rolling Stone: Portable Prefab Pod House Design

Portable Prefab Pod Home: Compact, Minimal & Modern

Electromagnetic Magic: Table Turns On Unplugged Lights

Posted: 14 Dec 2013 02:00 PM PST

Magic Electromagnetic Table 1

Any fluorescent bulb held near this simple modern side table design by Florian Dussopt will ‘magically’ turn on without being plugged into a power source. The EM (electromagnetic) table activates the bulbs with an embedded circuit that affects the mercury gas inside them, making them glow.

Magic Electromagnetic Table 2

The electronic circuit in the table turns a low current into an electromagnetic field, creating an invisible field of energy that users can interact with by holding fluorescent bulbs above its surface. Of course, you don’t want to bring any electronics anywhere near it unless you want them to stop working.

Magic Electromagnetic Table 3

The table appears to be a tribute to Nikola Tesla’s Wardenclyffe Tower, which attempted a similar feat on a much larger scale. Tesla hoped to use the same sort of electromagnetic field to transmit wireless electricity, but was never successful.