We’re proud to announce that Jasmax's innovative design response to ‘urban homes 100 years in the future’ has been shortlisted for the Dezeen and Mini Living Future Urban Home Competition. Whittled down from 400 entries to a shortlist of 15, Jasmax is the only designer from Aotearoa New Zealand to make the cut.

Jasmax's Wellington team worked with engineers from Beca to design 'Dwelly' - a 3D-printed, prefab modular system, which can be used to create homes in leftover urban spaces, in between, on top of, or even on the side of existing buildings. Homes are built by stacking different units on top of each other and are designed to be quick to build and dismantle.

Member of the design team Evelyn Axten says, “We decided to try and solve a design challenge that we see in our city, in other cities around New Zealand and even the world, where earthquakes and extreme storms are increasingly predicted. Our design asks the question, what if we could design a housing solution that would stand up to earthquakes, extreme weather, give us views in this stunning city, let us live in the heart of the urban space we love, and occupy the spaces no one else would occupy?”

As a result, Dwelly is designed to be adaptable, flexible and easily relocatable. It is as a simple catalogue of options and parts, which can be 3D-printed as and when needed. The home is designed to be fixed into any terrain with screw piles which also act as silts, lifting the home above ground to avoid flooding conditions. Diagonal bracing members also help to resist seismic and turbulent wind loads.

Read more here.

Architecture Now: New Zealand firm shortlisted for Mini Living design competition