A new prefab from Jun Ueno brings a fun, modern aesthetic to accessory spaces for garden, courtyard or rooftop. The Magic Box is an extension room that can be used as an office, studio or serve any purpose that the user imagines. We haven’t gotten the whole scoop on how sustainable it is, but we can say that this creative foray into the design of a small prefab space makes prefab look a lot more spacious, interesting and appealing than the typical ‘Modern Shed’ style box.
The designer calls it “a versatile ‘box’ that changes the stereotypes of prefabricated houses and extension rooms by having qualities such as transparency and simplistic form with high versatility. The Magic Box also creates innovative life styles and business environment. You are free to drive your imagination into transforming this box into your own working space or space for your hobbies.”
The Magic Box design team estimates that it takes about one month to produce the prefabricated components followed by a week or so of installation after foundation work, electricity installation and water supply/drainage.
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13 Responses to “PREFAB FRIDAY: The Magic Box gets creative with prefab”
Interesting look. Not sure about using it as a seperate bedroom… :-)
I think this decorative box is a mighty nice looking roof top dream house/tree house of an effect piece of instrumentation that prolongs the child-like desires in all of us. Let’s face it, call your girlfriend, get those dolls out of storage, and have a TEA BALL!
did someone say greenhouse?
very nice, what is the costs per square foot, does anyone know?
Any purpose except for a bathroom, hopefully. Aw, a “tea ball” would be cute! I’d like to see it in recycled wood for that kind of purpose….
It seems like the point is being missed here folks. Like ‘concept cars’… this is a ‘concept House’. Any carpenter can look at this and s how it could be built. It could be built even more strongly with (or search: Concretek.net) panels as the wall frames coated with sprayed on gunnite (concrete mix) inside and out. The gunnite sprayed Concretek panels would also be ‘monolithically’ strong. AND… if you combine 3, or more, of these modules together, with varying degrees of openings for more privacy… you’d have a pretty nice HOUSE !
Also… I really like the way that this design blurs the boundaries between ’sculpture’ and ’structures’(dwelling units). It’s like living inside of a really cool ’sculpture’. Nice going !
NICE design concept, ‘Magic Box,Inc.’ Wishing you much continued success.
Actually, Richie, it’s not a “concept”. It’s a real product thats being marketed and produced by Magic Box, Inc. The website is sketchy on hard details and shows the strain of being translated from Japanese but they seem to be involved in every stage of production from siting and design consultation to installation.
I guess you missed the hyperlink while everyone else was missing the point. (Sorry, I couldn’t resist.)
http://www.magicboxincusa.com/aboutus.html
Thanks for the tips about the concretek and gunnite, though. Monolithically stong is always okay in my book.
Richie, I like your description and ideas. How do you know so much about the design / build process? I’ll check out the website you mention, and if you or anyone else has any more great ideas, please emaill me at ctodd1000@gmail (dot) com. I’m looking for prefab / green build ideas for beautiful houses in Guatemala, Lake Atitlan.
Thanks, Catherine Todd
No cross ventilation, no privacy , insanely expensive glazing and too small to live in.
I must be missing something.
But what a pretty place to grow some ivy.
[...] Arcitecture PREFAB FRIDAY: The Magic Box gets creative with prefab: [...]
[...] Creatively Living with the Magic Box! - (inhabitat.com) “The Magic Box is an extension room that can be used as an office, studio or serve any purpose that the user imagines. Although it’s not know how sustainable it actually is, it’s certainly a creative approach to having an extra room in the back garden, rooftop, courtyard.“ [...]
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Very, VERY good, ceep on the prize is comming. We need people like you now when we are starting our new business in Australia.
Senior Architect
Leo Mac Ender
lemak@telia.com