POD-INDAWO BY COLLABORATE000 ARCHITECTS

A prefab that can be customized

With the recently launched POD-INDAWO, eco-friendly, prefabricated homes might have made another step forward. By now, we’re well aware of the perks of such habitats: low costs, kind to Mother Eart and often easy and quick to install. But it could still be hard to consider such tiny constructions in the same category as a real and proper home. It appears this will no longer be an issue with the POD-INDAWO.

Conceived by South African architect Clara da Cruz Almeida of COLLABORATE000, the pod is entirely designed and manufactured in South Africa with young South African business professionals in mind. The 17 m² unit is the ideal urban living solution. Thanks to many custom configurations, the home can be easily adapted over its lifetime, which means that it can grow and change with its owner. Plus, the unit has two floors and can be combined with other units for more space.

The home needs very few resources to be manufactured and constructed, plus it’s small footprint means that it makes less of an impact on its environment. Light colors were chosen to reflect light, auto-regulating the interior temperature, and each unit is equipped with solar panels to ensure energy autonomy. For the launch model, the designers Dokter and Misses created a variety of space-saving solutions that include foldable tables and couches. Additionally, the rear of the design opens on a deck-like platform that gives owners outdoor access and encourages air circulation.

Indeed, the habitat offers the lifestyle and comfort of a real home in a small and functional space. The fact that this system can be customized transforms the idea of a tiny space into a large dwelling for a variety of applications.