We’ve posted several times about the MCH (micro-compact home), a 2.6-meter cube that offers living, dining, kitchen and bath space for two within its carefully appointed interior. So we were interested to see someone taking about the same amount of space to create a home you live OUT of.

For his thesis project at Cranbrook, Andrew Kline created a pre-fabricated living space that could be assembled within an existing space—say, a warehouse or loft— to create a kind of fold-out home.

“The unit folds (closed) and unfolds (open) to reveal different functions when needed: a wardrobe, bed, kitchen, and bathroom. When the unit is folded (closed) the private program requirements of a home are removed and the surrounding space or workspace can be utilized for public uses. For example: a yoga instructor could live in the same space he or she teaches in. These units, utilized in vacant buildings, can build communities in hollow urban areas.”

Love how this idea turns small space living on it’s head: you don’t have to be IN the small space, but a small space can provide all the trappings of home with efficient, clever design.

(via Treehugger, photos by James Carrillo)