Design a tree – Flexibility in Time & Space

FLEXIBILITY IN TIME & SPACE

In a world where the population continues to increase and living space is becoming increasingly less, it is necessary to find innovative solutions to make the best possible use of urban space. It is based on these prerogatives that “Flexibility in Time & Space” project was born. The project is designed to meet the needs of Asian populations today, but in the future, it could be applied on a larger scale with the necessary adjustments.

The central element of the project is a special type of modular sliding wall. The wall consists of two outer plasterboard sheets and an inner aluminium structure. Between the two outer sheets there is an insulating layer and four automatic draught excluders so that no heat is lost, or noise passed from one room to another. To ensure the mobility of the wall, it is fitted with wheels at both the lower and upper ends. The various one-metre-long modules are connected and attached to each other using hooks like those used in car doors. The wall is electrified by means of a sliding contact on the top of the upper wheel pillar, which contacts a track inside the rails. In the ceiling of each flat (on average 40m2) a network of guides is embedded into which different sections of the sliding wall are hooked. This system makes it possible to manage space in small flats as required. A couple could live in the same flat for the rest of their lives without ever having to move. In addition to a bathroom, kitchen and a small dining area, the small flats can also have a double bedroom and up to three additional single bedrooms.