A new egg-shaped, "Ecocapsule," designed by Slovakia’s Nice Architects, is a portable, low-energy house packed into a compact form.
It’s not just an idea – the Bratislava-based firm will be making these to ship, with orders opening later this year.
It can sleep two, and is just spacious enough to stand and walk around in.
The capsule is covered with 2.6m2 of high-efficiency solar cells with a 600W capacity, and a retractable pole holding a 750W wind turbine.Â
The renewable energy will power a kitchenette with running water, flushing toilet and hot shower while off-grid.Â
It also has a high-capacity battery to see you through the cloudy doldrums.
The shape is optimized to collect rainwater and dew, while built-in water filters allow you to tap into most water sources.Â
The capsule fits into a standard shipping container for easy distribution worldwide. The firm estimates $1,600 shipping cost to Melbourne, and $2,400 to New York.
Once in-country, the egg-domicile can be airlifted, towed or even pulled by a pack animal, Nice claims.
They’re working on a chassis for a camper version for later next year.
Pre-ordering opens in the fourth quarter of this year, which is also when the price will be revealed. The company says first produced units will ship in the first half of 2016.
The capsule makes its public debut during Vienna’s Pioneers Festival, 28-29th May 2015.
Images via Ecocapsule
