Are you ready to live like a hamster?

There’s a growing trend around the world (especially since the GFC) to adopt a simpler lifestyle, with less “baggage”.

Many people in the developed countries are seeing the benefits of having less financial commitments, a less cluttered lifestyle and more leisure time to pursue their favorite activities.

Part of this trend has extended to housing. Despite Australians seeking larger and larger houses (see Simone’s blog on the Australian tendency towards even more bedrooms) there are some around the world who are doing the opposite, and reaping the rewards of a lower (or no) mortgage, less space to clean and a home that’s much easier to maintain.

This trend often goes hand in hand with higher density dwellings, and the need for smaller houses to use their limited space more efficiently.

Some time ago we published a blog about the “cube” a design study of a fully-functional house that is just 3m square.

But a new design, called the “roll-it” is even more innovative, and makes even more use of limited space – but to me, it seems more like the international Space Station than a home.

Would you want to live in it?

Read on to find out….

The “roll-it” makes use of space by rotating parts of the house. It’s part of a design study by Germany’s University of Karlsruhe – and it’s certainly innovative!