Designed by LOT-EK in 2002, the Mobile Dwelling Unit utilizes a single 8’ x 40’ shipping container to create a live/work space. The containers can be used individually or in combination with other modules. A single unit divides spaces into three sub-spaces – sleeping, working and cooking – grouped according to function.
The shipping container has been painted red and subdivided into three modules that “slide out of the container like drawers” once it has reached its destination. Each module contains a long horizontal window that allows natural light into the interior where it is supplemented by fluorescent lighting. A built-in furniture system fabricated from natural and brightly colored, plastic-coated plywood lines the interior surfaces.
Further, “multiple MDUs can be stored in tiered racks that integrate elevators, stairs, power, data, water and sewage systems to create a plug-in house infrastructure for the individual modules.” They are part of an enormous system of containers that can ultimately be combined in different ways and reflect changing patterns.
Project successes include the quality and quantity of space created in a single MDU. Further, not only is the basic unit highly transportable, it has the “potential to be stored and combined with other models to create a larger scale dwelling.”
Sources:
http://www.lot-ek.com
Kotnik, Jure, Container Architecture, Links Books, 2009, pp. 214-217
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fpqcA9nKl9k
