Team Belgium’s E-Cube 2011 Solar Decathlon House is a DIY Modular Kit-Home

Have you ever wondered what an Ikea-style house might look like (and we're not talking about those houses completely furnished by the store)? For this year's <a href="http://inhabitat.com/solar-decathlon/">Solar Decathlon</a> which ended last week, <a href="http://www.solardecathlon.gov/team_belgium.html">Team Belgium</a> came up with the answer: the <a href="http://www.solardecathlon.ugent.be">E-Cube</a>. This modular unit boasts a DIY mentality, wherein residents can completely assemble their own house from three crates and a simple manual within days.

While not for all tastes, its highly industrial feel reflects its pre-engineered, factory-built, easy-assemblage characteristics.

The house begins with a starter unit that, according to the buyer's time and budget, can gradually be expanded upon with enhancements to the <a href="http://inhabitat.com/breaking-solar-power-breakthrough-could-render-solar-cells-obsolete/">Photovoltaic system</a> and extensions to the living spaces.

Student designers Pieter Jan De Loof and Dietuven Van de Walle stand inside the finished E-Cube sporting the team's uniform: overall workpants.

An simple manual makes DIY house construction accessible to the mass consumer.

A pair of chairs made from old road signs together form part of the word 'Amsterdam', an example of one of the various student designs apparent within the house.

Several pieces of furniture were made from <a href="http://inhabitat.com/tag/recycled-pallets/">recycled pallet wood</a>, including the television stand located in the living room.

Simple furniture gives the house a modern feel.

The E-Cube stands out among others in the solar village with its boxy, industrial look.

Much of the shelving and kitchen supplies were sourced from Ikea.

The house combines natural-looking wood finishes with harsher metals.

Stairs leading to the second floor.

Big windows span the height of the walls allowing the entrance of lots of natural light.

Extra bedroom upstairs.

The main bedroom overlooks the living area below.

Elisabeth Cnockaert and Cedric D'haese welcome guests and hand out a pamphlet that briefly explains the house. It concludes with witty directions on how to fold it into an inflatable cube without any special tools or building-skills, much like the house.

Team Belgium at the official opening ceremony of the 2011 Solar Decathlon in Washington DC.

A competition deliverable for the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2011. It demonstrates the site plan tour route for visitors to the Decathlon.

A competition deliverable for the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2011. Team Belgium's project plan.

A competition deliverable for the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2011 showing the E-Cube's first floor plan.

A competition deliverable for the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2011 showing the E-Cube's second floor plan.