It’s safe to say at this point that the perception of mobile homes has shifted from the domain of trailer parks to chic hipsters (think tiny homes) and off-the-grid survivalists.
The minds at Ten Fold Engineering are officially pushing that ball forward with this concept for a structure that’s not only mobile — it’s also collapsible. That they can make these structures with premium, eco-friendly materials makes the deal even sweeter. That the whole collapsing and expanding thing can be executed in a matter of minutes — unaided — is the icing on the cake.
Just don’t get trapped inside.
Potential uses for the prototype include a mobile office, home or even emergency hospital.
One use they don’t mention would be a shelter for refugees, both political (Syria) or environmental (floods, hurricanes and the like). One shudders to recall those noxious trailers FEMA issued in the wake of Hurricane Katrina; the lawsuits surrounding them cost everyone involved, right down to the taxpayer.
Ten Folds have the clever ability to house furniture like folding-beds and couches, as well as built-ins like kitchens that seamlessly stown into the structure like a pop-up picture book. The stilts can be raised and lowered to accommodate uneven ground, and there’s space for solar panels, too.
It’s nice to know that as life throws us curveballs, there are folks out there dreaming up solutions. Especially ones as fetching as these bad boys.
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