Wrap yourself in a Kokoon, the $15,000 stackable home of the future

By Dallon Adams October 9, 2016

Prefabricated homes are becoming increasingly more popular with architects around the world. These modular designs can be conveniently shipped and then assembled on-site as a more affordable alternative to traditional construction methods.

Kokoon is a three-story home developed as part of the annual Wood Program project by students at the Aalto University School of Arts Design and Architecture in Helsinki, Finland. The students began the design process in January and construction was completed in July. Kokoon was unveiled in Otaniemi, Finland, and is currently being displayed at the Museum of Finnish Architecture in Helsinki. As noted by the design team, Kokoon was created as a temporary housing solution for asylum seekers, homeless individuals, and those simply seeking short-term shelter.

Kokoon is composed of three “stackable” modules. These modules can be situated in an array of configurations both vertically and horizontally, giving Kokoon plenty of versatility. Similarly, the interior of each module is customizable for optimal utilization. The lone prototype includes a bathroom, dining area, kitchen, bedroom, storage, and workspace.

The prototype has a rather minimal area of only 377 square feet. However, the home looks and feels exceedingly more spacious due to its sophisticated, utilitarian design. The interior features the welcome aesthetic of untreated wooden panels and furnishings. Large timber skylights overhead let in ample natural light on each floor. What’s most impressive is the total time of construction. Kokoon can be fully assembled in less than a day.

The prefabricated modular home is still in the prototype phase, so unfortunately Kokoons are not available for sale at this time. When that time comes, the designers estimate the cost of a fully assembled Kokoon to be roughly $15,000. The team plans to showcase Kokoon in locations across Finland over the next few years to pique interest in the project.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Dallon Adams is a graduate of the University of Louisville and currently lives in Portland, OR. In his free time, Dallon…

Smart Home

Google Nest gives 100,000 Home Minis to people living with paralysis

Google Home Mini

Google Nest is giving away 100,000 free Home Minis to people who are living with paralysis.
The company announced a partnership with the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation Friday to provide the devices to paralyzed individuals as a way for them to be able to better control their environment as well as gain some additional independence.
It announced the partnership through a blog post written by Paralympic athlete Garrison Redd. Redd hopes to take home the gold for powerlifting during the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. In his post, Redd details how he has specifically used the Mini in his day to day life for things like changing the temperature in his home, remembering his training schedule, and making grocery lists.
"Some of the greatest challenges and hurdles I face are at home," Redd wrote in the blog post. "When you’re paralyzed, your home goes from being a place of comfort and security to a reminder of what you’ve lost. Light switches and thermostats are usually too high up on the wall and, if my phone falls on the floor, I may not be able to call a friend or family member if I need help."

"These may seem like simple annoyances but, to members of the paralysis community, they reinforce the lack of control and limitations we often face," he added.

Web

Best Buy Spring sale: Save on TVs, laptops, appliances, and more

Best Buy BetaÙ

Best Buy is currently hosting an absolutely huge Spring sale. There are countless items on sale here with seemingly everything you can think of available. That means fantastic TV deals like being able to grab an for just $230 to astonishing laptop deals too. There are even plenty of refrigerator deals and other major appliances. There are so many items in the Best Buy Spring sale that you really need to check it out for yourself. The options are near endless. However, if you’d like to know what we’re recommending, keep reading and we’ll take you through your options.

What to shop for in the Best Buy Spring sale
If you need to kit out your home with better appliances, the Best Buy Spring sale will delight you. You can buy an for just $800, saving $300 off the regular price of $1,100. The washer has TurboWash 360-degree technology so five powerful jets spray clothes from multiple angles to give you a complete clean in under 30 minutes. There’s also built-in intelligence with AI selecting the optimal wash motions and settings for your washing. ColdWash technology is perfect for penetrating deep into fabric too.

Smart Home

Best security camera deals: Ring, Arlo, Blink and more on sale

These are the best security camera deals available right now

Prime Day 2022 security camera deals graphic.

Home security is one of the most important things for peace of mind, and putting out a few home security cameras can certainly help alleviate any fears and issues around that. They can also sometimes act as deterrents for would-be trespassers while also working as a great two-way communication device for delivery folks. There are quite a few options for home security cameras, whether you want something wired or prefer to go with wireless security cameras so you don't have to pull cables. Either way, we've gone out and collected some of our favorite home security camera deals for you down below to save you the hassle.
Chamberlain myQ Smart Garage Security Camera -- $45, was $50

While this is ostensibly made for your garage, there's no reason the Chamberlain myQ Smart Garage can't work for other uses as well, especially if you don't need the highest quality of recording. It has an HD camera, which isn't a ton, but it does have an impressive 130-degree field of view. The MyQ also connects through dual-band Wi-Fi for a better connection, and it even has two-way communication, which is impressive for something at this price bracket.