Micro Compact Home

I first became aware of the m-ch (micro compact home) from a glossy design magazine I was reading at a book store in Hong Kong in February. Since then I have been enfatuated with the 8' x 8' aluminium box designed by Richard Horden. Whilst the stylish cube is smaller than my bathroom, it packs alot in, and not only that in a stylish vibrant and ergonomic way. There are functioning spaces for, sleeping, working, cooking and hygiene.

The m-ch was first launched in Munich in November 2005 with the development of a case study village sponsored by O2 Germany, which is currently occupied by students of TU Munich. The m-ch made its UK debut at the Grand Designs Live 2006 exhibition, London Docklands. Since its launch it has gradually grown in popularity and the media attention has ballooned, including an article and video tour on the BBC News website by Rajesh Mirchandani, however the home generated mainly negative reader comments mainly through the proposed use as a solution to the housing shortage, and the signifigant price tag which the article states is £50k, however m-ch units can be purchased from £16,895 (€25k) to £22,975 (€34k). However the installation and delivery fee may take this to £50k.

But why is the micro compact home special? It is in itself a unique iconic housing design which symbolises the need for reduction in our lives, the cube makes use of a highly recyclable material, and recycled m-ch units can be made into new units. The aluminium can be recycled with minimal wastage (approximately 0.3%) using 11% of the energy used in production from raw materials. In addition, the first eco balance report was completed in 2005 at the Technical University in Munich and is a detailed full life cycle analysis of the materials used in the construction, through to the final recycling and disposal. The report includes details of the energy balance and the energy required to manufacture and deliver materials to the factory and to the site. A 'low.e-home' version is available with potentially zero CO2 emissions. This is powered by pv solar cells and a small vertical axis wind generator mounted on the roof and mast.

In a cold winter month the m-ch should use only 348kWhrs and in the summer, using air conditioning, approximately 123 kWhrs. It is possible to be highly energy efficient in the use of an m-ch. Since it has a small air volume, it heats and cools very quickly.

You can view a m-ch at the O2 student village, Technical University Munich and at the Festival of Xtreme Building in Birmingham from the 9th June.