by Nissa Hanna
WHAT’S HAPPENING
- The option to add on is typically a homeowner luxury, available only to those apartment owners who fortuitously score an adjacent vacancy. But German-based designer Stefan Eberstadt thought outside the box to create the Rucksack House concept, an external addition for high-rises.
- Placed in front of an existing window for an entry point, the steel and birch-veneer box affixes to the side of the building while attached steel cables secure it to the roof or facade (Inhabitat.com, 9 July 2012).
- With Plexiglass windows rounding the corners on all five sides (even the floor), the 97-square-foot space takes in lots of natural light. Inside it’s open, while stealthy wall cubbies unlatch to reveal furnishings like a desk and a sleeping platform.
- And the Rucksack House unit is mobile, so residents don’t have to leave it behind if they move.
WHAT THIS MEANS TO BUSINESS
- OK, so urban planners, building owners and even NIMBY neighbors may not be so keen on an apartment appendage, but the Rucksack House is a step in the right direction: designing solutions for the intersection of need for flexible space and the reality of urban living.
- As cities continue to grow and absorb more residents, there will be increased pressure for adaptable architectural innovations.
RESOURCES
