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livingbox - 2005
Sponsors: Edil Portale
Dru McKeown Evan Zane Chris Maurer
Edil Portale sponsored a competition to develop the idea of the modular/movable home in order to stregthen the link between man and what makes his space into a "place". The competition centered on the notions of either a living unit as a preassembled block/blocks or as a living unit being the assemblage of light prefabricated small elements. Both notions centered on easy transport, self supporting structures and efficient assemblage.
TOIstudio's approach was therefore to concentrate primarialy upon the combination of modularity, simple assemblage, and multiple functionality to maximize design efficiency. This led to the TOIHouse becoming a self containing unfolding structure that would support multiple roles including temporary housing, emergency medical support and long term housing. ToiHouse was also designed with varying degrees of utility independence in mind. The structure could exist entirely "off the grid" and would be equipped with fresh water, grey water, fuel and storage tanks as well as a gas generator, photo voltaic array and grey water collection shroud.
Designing for various degrees of permanence would make TOIhouse flexible enough to fit any need therefore TOIhouse was designed with an unfolding foundation base that could store sewage and grey water as well as locations to be structurally fixed to more permanent bases such as piles or concrete foundations.
Modularity also becomes highly efficient with the interchangeable cores that can be swapped from unit to unit and would provide plumbing lines and fixtures for the bathroom and kitchen facilities.