If you’ve just had it with taking the subway, or sitting in an office, or just generally being around other people, you may be in luck. Slovakian firm Nice Architects has built an egg-shaped “Ecocapsule” that runs entirely on solar and wind energy, allowing its dweller(s) to live both literally, and figuratively, off the grid.
If you’ve just had it with taking the subway, or sitting in an office, or just generally being around other people, you may be in luck. Slovakian firm Nice Architects has built an egg-shaped “Ecocapsule” that runs entirely on solar and wind energy, allowing its dweller(s) to live both literally, and figuratively, off the grid.
The completely self-sustaining portable home contains a 9,744 watt-hour battery, a 750 watt wind turbine, and high-efficiency solar cells that can support you for about a year in pretty much any location in the world, provided there is some sunlight. (It probably wouldn’t work in a cave, for instance, should someone desire to live in one.)
Join 500,000+ readers who start their day with Quartz.
By subscribing, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
The capsule also includes a rainwater collection and filtration system. Inside, there’s a kitchenette with running water, a flushable toilet, a shower, a bed, and work space. Nice Architects says the capsule, which is about 4.5 meters (14.7 feet) long and 2.4 meters (7.9 feet) wide, can comfortably fit two people.
The egg-home can be “easily transported” by trailer, according to the company, and can even charge the electric car that’s towing it.
But beyond just nomadic living, the Ecocapsule has plenty of other potential applications, from providing shelter in disaster areas to doubling as scientific research stations.
Nice Architects will unveil its prototype at the Pioneers festival in Vienna on May 28 before taking pre-orders at the end of 2015 for shipping in the first half of 2016. The company says the price will be released later this year, though there’s already a steep shipping cost. Sending the capsule from Slovakia to New York, for instance, will cost you €2,200 ($2,383) alone, and the capsule itself is likely to run to tens of thousands of dollars.
