MIT Cambridge
The Instant Cabin is Ikea like house construction for developing countries. The Instant Cabin is a structure prefabricated of one material (plywood) assembled with mussel and a rubber mallet. Nails, screws or glue are not needed for assemble and support. The project combines CAD technology with computer numerically controlled machinery to build a complete house from computer models and raw plywood sheets with no drawings or paper documents. The computer is used to convert a simple house shape into an assortment of special shapes and components complete with a number. The designer builds a computer model in 3D, flattens the objects to a horizontal position in CAD then sends the each component to a computer-controlled router for cutting. Joinery between components is so precise that all parts stay together by friction alone.
The Instant Cabin answers the problem of construction waste, time consuming design and confusing construction methods. Today construction sites are littered with machinery and skilled laborers who use many expensive handheld tools to fabricate and assemble building components. Expensive drills, screw guns, power saws and now computers have complicated the process of simple home building. Add to that complex CAD documentation and now we have a process of design and construction outside the boundaries of the average person. Two people assembled the entire in three days. Components are small enough to be carried by one person and hammered in place. No need for cranes or scaffolding. In fact the ladder comes complete with the house kit.
Students: Maggy Nelson, Diana Nee, Marcel Botha, Victoria Lee, Nic Rader
