100% Design 2012 review - part 2

YO! Where did I put my sitting room?

 

When I joked with Simon Woodroffe that his inspiration must have been part Wallace & Gromit and part Austin Powers, (which I meant as a compliment) the reply was a stern look of a business man with serious intent to make this concept a city high-rise reality in the very near future.

This was a main attraction and a highly anticipated star of the 100% Design 'show' for us. As space saving is a valuable commodity and will become more so especially in inner city and suburbia, it's a recurring theme for the entrepreneur Simon Woodroffe of the cabin-esque Yo! Hotel fame and of course YO! Sushi. We witnessed the unveiling of his latest venture Yo! Home. His vision (as far back as 6 years ago) was to create multiple rooms out of one flexible modest space. His well executed prototype 80m2 room showcase housed many clever space saving features the likes of beds raising to create a new ceiling and revealing a sunken lounge area beneath, kitchen tables and seating from automated trapdoors Storage in the floor and sliding partition walls and a kitchen housed behind cupboards.

If I was in a cynical mood I would say it reminded me of those US 1960’s ‘show home of the future’ TV snippets which back then seemed to have us believe we would all have robot maids by now. But what was interesting is that this ingenious execution is low tech. Granted it is electronically driven borrowed from the theatre world with clearly a lot of thought to the mechanics housed in the meter-thick back wall (and I believe a weighted pully version is being advanced as a more practical solution).

I couldn’t help remain with the thought that it might make for some interesting situations if you fall out with the other half only to find you’re trapped in bed… against the ceiling! I hope Simon's building in an easy reach reset!

To give a belated answer to Simon's non-rhetorical question to the audience ‘why has nobody done it before”? I’m sure there’s 10 reasons not to for every 1 positive and this country needs more ‘inventors’ like him not scared to push forward in case of knock backs. Rumour has it he has invested £200,000 in this prototype. However, I guess we’ll wait to see at what price tag these will be available before we know for sure how viable. Cynicism aside I actually don’t doubt that Simon will realise yet another of his visions and make it a successful business venture along the way. He may just revolutionise the way city living is to be. “It’s simple and it’s magical” he concludes.

He left us with the thought that generations will one day look back on our era and question why with all the technological advances of our age did we still live in houses where spaces such as dining rooms were used for only a few hours a week? Whilst we can, I suppose we do languish in unused space - at a premium cost even now. But why can't I shake the notion that his prediction may be regarded as truley visonary in time to come.