JONTILLMAN.COM | part of the problem since 1976

I am in love. In love with a 2.6m³ house. The m-ch (micro-compact home) has everything one person (maybe two people) would need:

• two compact double beds, each measuring 198cm x 107cm, with covered cushions
• storage space for bedding and cleaning equipment
• a sliding table measuring 105cm x 65cm, for dining for up to five people
• flat screen television in the living/dining space
• a shower and toilet cubicle
• a kitchen area, which is fitted with electrical points and features a double hob, sink and extending tap, microwave, fridge and freezer units, three compartment waste unit, storage shelves, cutlery drawers with gentle return sprung slides and double level work surfaces
• thermostat controlled ducted warm air heating, air conditioning, water heating

I have always been fascinated with living in small spaces. There is something fascinating and inviting to me about the forced simplicity of the monk’s cell, the bed-sit, the one-room cabin. I have no doubt that at some point in the future I will live in one of these types of dwellings, and now that I have found the m-ch, it may be sooner rather than later.
Outfitted with photovoltaic panels, small diameter vertical axis wind generator, reserve batteries or hydrogen fuel cells, composting toilet, Long duration LED lighting and an electric well pump, you would have a self-contained off-the-grid micro-house with almost no carbon footprint, even taking manufacturing into account.

One per person (or couple), arranged in a sort of mini-village under the trees, these could be the basis of a fantastic, and at the price (€ 25,000-34,000) affordable, eco-village or co-op.
My only complaint is that these are completely cubic, instead of rectangular. If one of the dimensions was less than 2.33m, then the entire house could be packed into a standard shipping container, along with all your possessions and perhaps a motorcycle, and you would be a completely self-contained nomad.

Anyway, I suppose that the next step is to find out where I can actually visit one of these things and get a true idea of how small a space we are talking about.