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Olly Murs

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Need an affordable home? Try living in this cube!

Monday, 4 April 2016 15:05

The University of Hertfordshire have been working on a 'cube project' to make 'microhomes' the future of affordable housing.

Microhome QB3 has just 18m2 of floor area, but uses two moving walls to convert different parts of the space between lounge, bedroom, kitchen and bathroom.

It's a flexible and modern home for a single person or a couple, and has low energy use at its heart.  

QB3 uses two heat pumps (for heating and hot water), heat-recovery ventilation, LED lighting and TV, and also has triple-glazing.

There is even the option of a green roof, with solar photovoltaic panels, that would make QB3 energy neutral over a typical year.

Dr Mike Page, the director of the Cube Project, said: "Low-energy microhomes like QB3 can play a crucial role in providing affordable housing.

"There are plenty of small, underused spaces, especially in cities, in which these fun, practical buildings can play a useful role in addressing housing needs."

The 'home of the future' was debuted at the Edinburgh International Science Festival and is still being developed.

For a full image tour, click the gallery here. 

Photos by Allan MacDonald

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