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The real estate bubble may have burst, but we’ve found a better, more sustainable bubble to get into: The buBbLe Prototype ^[4]! This inventive housing alternative is the result of a design collaboration between the office of MMAS ^[5] and architect-artist Cipriano Chas ^[4]. The design team aimed to develop a prototype of a non-permanent house simple enough to be transported ^[6] by any means, while at the same time providing its inhabitants with basic contemporary comforts in any context.

Currently, the prototype consists of a starter kit accommodating a two day stay, and various kit accessories that will complement the needs of longer stays. A compact metal locker holds a 2x2x2 meter cube with a lightweight plastic bubble skin ^[7], which is configured upon a drop-down aluminum frame. The walls of the cubic house feature an insulating chamber that can be filled with a variety of materials ranging from water, to air, to grass ^[8], to clothing, to whatever the occupant desires. This clever design feature not only provides alternative storage, but works to manage external conditions by providing adjustable eco-friendly insulation as well as offering privacy from the curious eyes which will surly be drawn to the unique structure. Leaps ahead of a traditional tent, the self supporting structure also includes a water hookup, a small kitchen, laundry and lighting.

The buBbLe Prototype was designed to be an independent living facility, nomadic ^[9] and flexible, that allows the occupants to respond to diverse environmental contexts within a given amount of time. In particular, the designers envision that these units could change a city’s social fabric for the better when erected within underused urban areas for the use of the newly arrived, or displaced, as a comfortable way to transition into the city.

Watch the video of the design team in action as they assemble the buBbLe Prototype in a parking lot on the outskirts of their town here ^[10].

+ buBbLe Prototype ^[4]

+ MMASA ^[5]

Via Plataforma Arquitectura ^[11]