In Germany, a micro-home for four people is being tested

MUNICH - German students are testing the micro-home designed by British architect Richard Horden. According to him, four people can live in a cube with a side of 2.7 meters, which provides a living room, two bedrooms, a dining room, a kitchen, and a bathroom. Some local British authorities are also interested in Horden's design in hopes that the unit could serve in cases of accommodation shortages.
BBC's website states that the box can also provide privacy for older household members or teenage children and can be placed, for example, in the garden of a family home.
The relative comfort of the miniature space lies in the interchangeability of functions of individual sections. The entrance hallway also serves as a bathroom, the bed folds down over the living space, which can quickly transform into a dining room for four people or a guest bedroom.
Seating is provided by seats that also serve as storage space. They can be easily pushed aside, creating room for dancers who can use the built-in sound system.
A village of these all-providing boxes is being created on the campus of the University of Munich. The university has 90,000 students but can accommodate only 10,000. It has already tried to address issues with dormitories by using containers meant for shipping goods. However, Horden's system is even more efficient, as his micro-homes take up only half the space of a shipping container. They can be stacked on top of each other or placed in an empty space. They can be relocated on the bed of a truck.
The designers acknowledge that their creation is still a bit cramped for permanent living, but they offer it as a temporary solution to housing troubles. "I am sure I can live in such a house. Not for several years, but a few months, yes. It provides maximum comfort and is very cleverly designed," said Dieter Massberg, who is responsible for student housing in Munich.