The Winners!
MOBILE HOME 2023
First Prize Winners
Madan Raaj Ravi & Hari Prabhu M
India
Madan Raaj Ravi
M.Arch Landscape
Ra Design Company
M. Hari Prabhu
PG Student
RMIT, Melbourne
Second Prize Winners
Haochen Qin & Jianyi Li
China
Haochen Qin & Jianyi Li
Congratulations on winning the Mobile Home Design Competition! Can you provide a brief overview of your winning design and its key features that set it apart from traditional mobile homes?
This mobile home design is tailored specifically for digital nomads, aiming to provide a comfortable, flexible, and easily transportable and assembleable residence. It features a foldable structure that takes the form of a 3-meter cubic dimension during transportation, yet unfolds to offer a spacious 120 square meter living space, achieving efficient spatial expansion and utilization. The unique combination of wood, steel, and membrane not only lends a modern aesthetic but also ensures structural stability and durability, contrasting starkly with traditional bulky mobile homes.
The competition emphasized redefining mobile living. How did your design challenge traditional notions of mobile homes, and what innovative concepts did you incorporate to push the boundaries of creativity and functionality?
This design challenges traditional notions of mobile homes. First, it is tailor-made for the emerging digital nomad lifestyle, aligning with the philosophy of relying on the internet for income and embracing geographical and temporal freedom. Second, its flexible, unfoldable structure transcends the concept of a temporary shelter, becoming a mobile "home" that provides a sense of belonging anywhere. Moreover, the modern, minimalist material design lends the mobile home a fresh, fashionable appearance.
Sustainability and efficiency were crucial aspects of the competition. How did your design integrate sustainable practices and technologies to promote energy efficiency, waste reduction, and the use of environmentally conscious materials?
Sustainability is at the core of this design philosophy. The mobile home extensively utilizes renewable materials such as wood and steel, significantly reducing the demand for non-renewable resources. The natural daylighting design of the membrane roof structure can significantly save lighting energy consumption. More importantly, the entire foldable and modular structure helps minimize material waste and improve resource utilization.
Flexibility and adaptability were highlighted as essential characteristics for modern mobile homes. How does your design accommodate various spatial configurations and adapt to different environments or changing needs of residents?
Flexibility and adaptability are paramount in this design. Based on geometric folding principles, the entire residence can be folded into a 3-meter cube occupying only 27 cubic meters during transportation for convenient mobility; once unfolded, it offers a spacious 120 square meter living space that can be flexibly partitioned and reconfigured according to needs. Furthermore, the modular design concept allows these mobile homes to be combined into "mobile communities," adapting to different environments and living requirements.
Connectivity and technology integration were emphasized to enhance the overall living experience within the mobile home. Can you discuss how your design incorporates smart technologies, innovative connectivity solutions, and efficient space utilization?
Folding and stretching are excellent ways to utilize space. Folding means that the same component can have different forms, perform different functions, and occupy varying amounts of space. We have considered many possibilities for folding in our design. Stretching is also an efficient method of connection. Similar to folding, a membrane structure can be easily affixed to poles and stretched out to form a wall. When it's no longer needed, it can be removed and stored in a box. These are both interesting and efficient methods.
Aesthetics and emotional well-being were emphasized to promote happiness and a sense of home. How did you approach creating visually appealing and emotionally comforting spaces within your design?
Firstly, we believe that a home should represent safety and be a place that is soft and tranquil. When not in use, prefabricated furniture and living items are stored in cubic modules. Upon deployment, one level is used as an elevated base, serving only as an ancillary space, which ensures the stability and safety of the entire house. The main living spaces are on the second level, where the occupants can enjoy a broader view and better landscape effects. Secondly, in terms of material selection, we chose fabric as the structure, drawing on its soft characteristics to create a homely atmosphere.
In your opinion, what are the most significant challenges faced when designing mobile homes, and how did your design address or overcome these challenges?
I believe the greatest challenge lies in the folding of forms. On one hand, the volume of the architecture prior to transformation should be sufficiently compact, at least enough to be placed atop a train, and it should be capable of dense packing to store more houses; subsequently, how to unfold it into a house that possesses ample space suitable for human habitation, maximizing material use, bridging these two forms is the greatest challenge. Therefore, we delved into some geometrical knowledge, including space tiling and the like, ultimately opting for a form with a higher space utilization rate.
How do you envision your winning design impacting the future of mobile home living, and what potential benefits do you foresee it offering to residents and communities?
First of all, our design is based on spatial folding. The starting point of folding is to facilitate transportation, allowing the building to be easily transported to different regions. This means that, in the future life, if you are tired of being in one environment, you can move to a preferred area at a low cost. At the same time, whether a group of people with the same interests and hobbies will spontaneously gather together to form a harmonious and beautiful new community is a question worth looking forward to.
Third Prize Winners
Naura Dhia Aqila Akbar, Mutyara Rengganis Herya Suci & Arya Febryan
Indonesia
Naura Dhia Aqila Akbar and Arya Febryan are sixth-semester students, while Mutyara Rengganis Herya Suci is an eighth-semester student at Medan Area University, Indonesia. They have come together to collaborate on their first project, sharing a common vision for architecture focused on sustainable development. They believe in the significant role architecture can play in enhancing the social and cultural life of the Indonesian people.
Congratulations on winning the Mobile Home Design Competition! Can you provide a brief overview of your winning design and its key features that set it apart from traditional mobile homes?
We would like to thank the organizers of the archiol mobile home 2023 competition for giving our team the opportunity to add the best experience in competition, we appreciate the appreciation and trust that has been given to our team.
The concept of this house is inspired by the shape of a tangram game, whose function is specifically for retirees or the elderly. Tangram is a transformation puzzle game forming a whole consisting of seven parts, called tans, which are put together as a pattern.
The connection between mobile homes and tangram games is that both involve using basic geometric shapes to create the desired structure or pattern. The modular house consists of modules whose shapes are customized from the basic shapes of squares, triangles and parallelograms arranged.
The mobile home we designed can be transported by a lowboy truck and has a lower platform that allows it to carry higher loads. The size of the lowboy truck can carry items that are 14.6 to 16 meters long and the platform width is about 2.4 to 3 meters. This size is suitable for transporting 3 Tangeola house modules carried in 2x installments.
The competition emphasized redefining mobile living. How did your design challenge traditional notions of mobile homes, and what innovative concepts did you incorporate to push the boundaries of creativity and functionality?
The Tangeola House was designed with comfort, safety and practicality in mind. Overall, the house concept of this game form combines design beauty with high functionality. The house pays special attention to the needs and concerns of the elderly and retired, so that they can live a comfortable and happy life.
Tangeola House is designed to have 3 modules with different zoning, the reason is to provide flexibility and efficiency in the use of space. Residents can easily increase or decrease the number of modules according to their needs or even change the layout and function of each module as desired. This makes the mobile home an efficient solution that can be customized to suit the style and life of its occupants.
Sustainability and efficiency were crucial aspects of the competition. How did your design integrate sustainable practices and technologies to promote energy efficiency, waste reduction, and the use of environmentally conscious materials?
Materials used in these mobile home include sustainable materials (cross laminated timber), steel, small amounts of fabricated concrete, ceramics and glass.
- Cross laminated timber (CTL), this is used in flooring and as wall decoration which makes it easy to install and dismantle. It offers strength, dimensional stability and rigidity.
- Steel, this material was chosen to be the main load-bearing pillar of the building.
- Fabricated concrete, is a type of ready-mixed concrete to be installed in buildings. The advantage is that the quality and grade of this concrete is well controlled and also stronger.
- Ceramics are used to make architectural elements such as floors, walls, and roofs, while glass can be used to make windows and more. Ceramics and glass also have high strength and durability, which makes them ideal for modular buildings. Ceramics can withstand different types of physical damage including corrosion and lightning.
Flexibility and adaptability were highlighted as essential characteristics for modern mobile homes. How does your design accommodate various spatial configurations and adapt to different environments or changing needs of residents?
This mobile home can adapt to various seasons such as rainy, dry, spring and fall in terms of technology and materials. Like one of its woodplank parquete flooring that can be used indoor and outdoor. This house also provides a multifunctional area that is used to meet the food needs of users, in this case retirees, as a medium for growing crops during the spring, fall, rainy and dry seasons which are drained by water independently.
Connectivity and technology integration were emphasized to enhance the overall living experience within the mobile home. Can you discuss how your design incorporates smart technologies, innovative connectivity solutions, and efficient space utilization?
The smart home system here allows residents to control various aspects such as lighting, temperature, and security, through smart devices. Efficient space utilization that can easily increase or decrease the number of modules according to needs, as well as by utilizing empty space as hidden water storage under the house.
Aesthetics and emotional well-being were emphasized to promote happiness and a sense of home. How did you approach creating visually appealing and emotionally comforting spaces within your design?
The use of wooden parquet flooring and a color palette of brown, cream and ash is generally chosen for elderly or retired homeowners as this combination can create a warm, natural and calming atmosphere. Wooden parquet flooring gives a natural touch and an elegant look. In addition, brown, cream, and ash colors can give a calm, warm, and welcoming impression, which can create a comfortable environment and support emotional well-being for elderly or retired residents.
To create comfort and the needs of residents, the openings in this mobile home use large windows to get natural light and air according to the needs of the elderly or retired people in the house.
In your opinion, what are the most significant challenges faced when designing mobile homes, and how did your design address or overcome these challenges?
The most challenging and difficult part of designing a mobile home is the need for food supply, water supply, energy efficiency and space requirements. This can be overcome by providing a multifunctional area that can be a place to grow crops, water storage, utilization of photovoltaic panel.
In addition, another challenge we faced was determining the transportation for transporting the mobile home so that it can be moved around by using a lowboy truck that has a lower platform that allows it to carry a higher load.
How do you envision your winning design impacting the future of mobile home living, and what potential benefits do you foresee it offering to residents and communities?
In the cities, there is a thriving community of residents so retirees would want to live a life with a relaxed style and a slower pace of life with no traffic jams, long queues, and so on. We offer mobility systems from Mobile home allows seniors or retirees to stay physically and socially active by easily moving around as they wish. They can explore new places or temporarily live in different locations without having to leave the comfort of their home.
Special mention
Honorable mention
Jiaying Liu
Reuben Kanjirakadan
Yingyu Meng, Manrong Liang & Yanyan Liu
Jiaying Liu
China
Jiaying Liu, a native of Changsha, Hunan Province, China, was born on September 7, 2000. Currently a second-year graduate student at Hunan Normal University, she is majoring in Environmental Design, focusing on Interior and Architecture.
Influenced by her father, who is an interior designer and owns a small interior design company, Jiaying had always aspired to become an interior designer. However, her experience during graduate school, where she worked on real projects, made her realize the challenges faced by designers in China. She observed a lack of respect for designers and a tendency towards rushed and poor-quality design.
Last month, Jiaying decided to pursue a career in design education to address these issues. She hopes to become a design teacher to contribute to the improvement of the design industry and to foster a greater understanding and appreciation of design among the public.
Reuben Kanjirakadan
India
Yingyu Meng, Manrong Liang & Yanyan Liu
Australia
Yingyu Meng, an undergraduate student of spatial design at Monash University, is deeply interested in and dedicated to architectural design. Through participation in this architectural competition, Yingyu has furthered their understanding and pursuit of innovation and aesthetics. Committed to blending functionality and aesthetics, they strive to present unique design concepts through careful spatial layout and material usage. In the future, Yingyu looks forward to enhancing their design skills through continuous learning and exploration, contributing to the creation of better architectural spaces.
Liang Manrong, a parametric architect with a master's degree from UCL, specializes in large-scale public building projects. His focus is on the essence of public spaces, including interiors, architectural structures, and installations. He integrates design strategies to engage with people and translate these considerations into a unique approach.
Yanyan Liu, a student at Baiyun College in Guangdong, China, developed a keen interest in pursuing further education abroad during her undergraduate studies. While attending classes, she also gained valuable experience working at the Guangdong Provincial Institute of Architectural Design. This experience deepened her understanding of construction drawing design and China's design standards, shifting her perspective from simply drawing plans to considering engineering projects from a project-oriented viewpoint. Starting as an intern, Yanyan gradually progressed to a design assistant role.
