9/6/13

Space Trailer: NASA Architect Now Makes Mini Mobile Homes




So you live in a small condo where every square foot counts – but imagine the premium on space of actual outer space habitats.Combining his childhood love of houseboats and adult work on habitat modules for NASA and the International Space Station, one architect has applied all of his learning and yearning to a unique space-saving (and space-age) trailer right here on Earth.
After years figuring out how to make comfortable and compact living quarters in which astronauts were to eat, sleep, bathe and relax – their tiny floating home away from home – the eventual creator of theCricket Trailer refocused his efforts on something more useful to everyday earthlings: a made-to-order, modular, miniature trailer home.
The most decked-out version available to buy includes a a kitchen, eating, sleeping and lounge spaces as well as a hand shower, toilet, flexible awning, heating furnace and air conditioning – all somehow stored within a 15′ by 6.5′ trailer box with an (optional) pop-up, tent-like top.
One size does not fit all – people can purchase a simple shell with wheel well storage compartments and a sloped floor for drainage, then build out the rest on their own if they wish.
The next standard model up comes with a kitchen cabinet, hinged countertop, table, couch, refrigerator and stainless steel sink with hot running water, but lacks waste management as well as temperature control (making it good for camping, but perhaps not enough for long-term on-the-road lifestyles).
Visually, it looks like a postmodern sculptural tribute to classic cross-country living trailers. The design borrows from archetypes of portable campers with which the public is familiar, but breaks from the norm and deforms as needed to accommodate additional space-saving strategies and, some might say, an overall more space-aged look.



http://dornob.com/space-trailer-nasa-architect-now-makes-mini-mobile-homes/#axzz2e7UYvN2O