Prototype for a new living concept
«Self» Living Module Makes its Debut at the SwissbauFair
On 12th January 2010 the «Self» living module was presented publicly for the first time at the Swissbau exhibition in Basel. «Self» is a novel, highly innovative module for working and living which is self-sufficient in energy and water consumption. It includes a bedroom, bathroom, toilet and kitchen and is being used as a test bed and demonstrator for new building concepts and energy technologies by the research institutes Empa and Eawag.

The «Self» living module is designed as a living area and workplace for two persons. It is about the size of a shipping container and is independent of external water and energy supplies. Because the «Self» module is easily transported and can be located almost anywhere without difficulty, it is particularly suitable for temporary use, for example as a mobile research station, an event organizer’s dwelling and office, or as an inhabited advertising vehicle, to name but a few possibilities. Two undergraduates at the Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK), Bjoern Olsson und Sandro Macchi, designed the Empa concept-demonstrator for their final year project, and since 2008 they have both been working together with the team led by Mark Zimmermann of Empa’s Building Technologies Laboratory on the practical implementation of their design study. As a research and demonstration project «Self» is intended to provide concrete proof that it is possible to live – at least temporarily – without loss of comfort even when making sole use of natural sources of energy. The prototype module, constructed with the help of a wide range of universities and industrial partners, is being presented for the first time at the Swissbau fair for the construction and real estate sectors held on the Basel Exhibition Site from the 12th to 16th January. In the afternoon of the first day of the exhibition, Mark Zimmermann will describe the technical details of the «Self» module and lead a guided tour through the “living cube” in the “Future of Construction” symposium. | |||
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| Inside view (computer graphic). | ||
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Independent of external energy and water supplies | |||
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| «Self» is suitable for temporary use at a wide range of different locations since the living cube is easily transported and can be placed practically anywhere. | ||
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Testing innovative technologies and materials The project is also testing the practical applications of hydrogen technology – that is the synthesis, storage and usage of hydrogen for cooking and heating, for instance. The gas is generated by electrolysis using environmentally friendly electrical power supplied by solar cells on the roof of the module. Until it is required the hydrogen is stored in containers of metal hydride material, also an Empa-developed first. For the foreseeable future the “Self” module will be used as a technology demonstrator and be exhibited at trade fairs and shows. Later Empa intends to utilize the module as living quarters for guests or as a research station in the mountains. | |||
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