An innovative housing product, the Ecocapsules, could allow people to live essentially everywhere up to a year. Those egg shaped capsules resembles a modern spaceship, including futuristic cells and even antennae on it.

Each one of the capsules is externally provided with solar panels, a retractable wind turbine, and is designed to capture rainwater which built in filters make safe for human consumption. When looking inside, the Ecocapsule offers a kitchenette with running water, an en-suite bathroom with flushing toilet and hot shower, a folding bed and a spacious workspace.

The designer explains that the Ecocapsule “is suitable for a wide range of applications” such as an “independent research station or a tourist lodge to an emergency housing or a humanitarian-action unit.” The new product was developed by the Slovakian group Nice Architects and represents a creative effort to exploit renewable energy while offering innovative housing solutions.

The development for the innovative product took 6 years and it has been presented on the 28th-29th of May during the Pioneers festival in Vienna where it received many positive intrests and pre-orders.

“We were not prepared for the reaction,” explained Igor Zacek, one of the Nice project partners. “We started small but now we have to revise our model”.

Zacek explained that one of the main purposes concerns business hospitality for entrepreneurs and that many of the pre-orders request have been from hotel affiliates. “We also thought of people that have a relationship with nature, but based on the response it could be for almost everybody, it has caught the imagination and reminded people of childhood dreams.”

The designer and the architect also tried to ensure a design suited for the urban environment, with a compact shape and improved energy efficiency.

Zacek also expressed his idea that the new product would be suitable for city dwellers suffering overcrowded situations and too expensive rents.

“We talked about areas with high rents. Google used to house employees in a van until they could afford to buy a house. This could be a better solution.”

Considering the success and the high demand of the first presentation, the designers are already back to work to evolve the product and include new interesting features. Among those weather prediction software and a wheeled chassis for improved mobility.

Question raised about the comfort and the psychological impact of living in a capsule.

Zacek reassured the audience explaining that “It seems quite small from outside, but spacious from inside. There are a lot of options where to go (in future), once we are established on the market, we can play with scenarios.”

The new egg shaped product is getting positive feedbacks from the market, as a suitable product for green living space and as renewable energies user.

Written by: Pietro Paolo Frigenti