Portable pods get around housing crisis

FUTURE generations of home-hunters struggling to find the perfect package of an affordable dwelling in a dream location could find the answer with a portable pod, it was claimed yesterday.

The sci-fi style concept dreamed up by architect Marcin Panpuch would allow them to chop and change their postcodes using a “moveable” house costing as little as a car. Mr Panpuch’s creation could float on a river and then be uprooted to different locations to suit the owner’s changing lifestyle.

The clear spherical pods - which Polish-born Mr Panpuch estimated would cost from £20,000 to £30,000 - are his answer to London’s increasingly overheated housing market.

They would be “moored” on the Thames and east London’s docklands, but could also be situated on dry land by attaching up to 100 pods around a central concrete tower containing lifts.

His design is being shown as part of the Royal Institute of British Architects’ exhibit of innovative housing - Future House London.

The 30-year-old from Harrow, north west London, said his portable design would give homeowners the best of both worlds.

He said: “The house module can be relocated as often as required by family and work demands; a city tower, a river home, a rural retreat.

“You could own a house and be able to live both in a quiet area of east London and in the middle of the capital, enjoying the vibrant atmosphere and beautiful river views, right on your doorstep.”

The pods would also serve to tackle the increasing shortage of affordable housing in London. He said: “There is a lack of land in central London and there is a lot of space that is wetland so you could use this space to build new settlements and places to live.

“It could be quite an inspiring thing to see in central London. In the east London docklands you could put quite a few of them.”

Nor would his homes “break the bank. “It can be cheaply done and built in a factory. I think it would cost around the price of a good car or a small yacht”.

Spherical homes would be fitted with solar panels and retractable screens for privacy, and split into three floors built around a core containing a spiral staircase, kitchen, bathroom and toilets.