Dornob | Design Ideas Daily

Stackable Housing Unit Adds Up to Affordable Living

Posted: 21 Mar 2014 08:12 AM PDT

Y-Cube Stackable Housing Unit 1

Costing just $49,500 each, these stackable prefabricated one-bedroom dwellings could help solve London’s housing crisis. The Y:Cube by architectural firm Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners is an answer to the city’s rising house prices, which have pushed out many residents, leading to a high number of people living on the streets or in hostels.

Y-Cube Stackable Housing Unit 2

The Y:Cube can be used individually or in modular multi-story developments. Built using mostly renewable materials, each unit measures 280 square feet and includes a bedroom, en-suite bathroom, and combined living room and kitchen area. The interior partition walls can be moved around to customize the space.

Y-Cube Stackable Housing Unit 3

The units can be stacked vertically or placed side-by-side depending on the size and space available, and they’ll be paid for by a housing charity or local provider with rent as low as $205 per week. The homes are well insulated to reduce heating needs, and come with all necessary utilities like plumbing and electric built-in. Each unit has a projected 60-year lifespan.

y-cube Stackable Housing Unit 4

Y-Cube Stackable Housing unit 5

Developed in collaboration with the YMCA, the Y:Cube has already been used in a pilot project of 36 units in the London Borough of Merton, stacked three-high and configured in a horseshoe shape around a garden. Additional complexes, including a 105-unit housing development, are in the works.

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Real Decommissioned Weapons Turned Into Home Objects

Posted: 20 Mar 2014 02:00 PM PDT

blitz table lamp

Brooklyn-based designer Jake Wright was surrounded by military-related objects from the time he was a child. Born to an Air Force Pilot and a military defense contractor, Wright was naturally drawn toward these materials in his design work. Known collectively as Stockpile Designs, Wright’s line of furniture and home objects is based on obsolete and decommissioned military equipment.

megaton floor and table lamps

The guts of these Korean War-era bombs have been scooped out and replaced with lamp wiring. Stockpile Designs also offers replica bomb lamps for those who like the look of the unique fixtures but aren’t comfortable with having a disabled weapon in their home.

lazy dog bombs

One of the most striking designs from the collection is the Bomblet Pendant. It’s made from a “lazy dog” bomb that was never explosive, but could be incredibly destructive when dropped from airplanes – kind of like vertical bullets. Wearing one around your neck as an adornment might seem strange to some, but perhaps it can be seen as an expression of non-violence.