Ana Mernik Looking Out Week 11

AFFECT-T architects from Hong Kong made a prototype for transitional housing called the Bamboo Micro-House. It is to remedy the problem of social housing in Hong Kong (apparently 280,000 people living within Hong Kong don't have a permanent house to come home to, and live in undocumented and unaccounted for housing) by providing temporary housing for people looking for permanent housing.

The housing would have micro-dwelling units of only 3 by 2.5 meters, and would have areas for cooking, sleeping, and seating. Other sized units would serve couples or families that are in need of more room. There would also be areas for communal dining, games, and education. The dwellings would be connected by a backbone that provides water and electricity and disposes of waste. Because of bamboo's flexibility of form and adaptability of function, the smaller units can be easily separated, joined, or somehow altered as inhabitant size and use changes. The Micro-House is "a simple and inexpensive structural system to service many different demographics of people." There are some great images showing the production of the prototype.