The IWI Is a Multipurpose Pod That Unfolds Like an Accordion – Treehugger

If we've learned anything from the last few years of adapting to and living with disruption on a global scale, it's the importance of flexibility. That means welcoming new ideas when it comes to how we parent, how we educate our children, how we design our homes, how we dress and shop, and of course, how we work. If nothing else, the pandemic taught us that some of us could indeed ditch the commute (and the associated carbon emissions) to work just as productively from home.

This emerging hybrid work model has inspired many designers to come up with intriguing home office ideaslike this prefabricated work pod made out of wood or this futuristic home office alternative. Most are relatively compact, but they still take up precious space in your backyard. So what to do if you want to install a prefab home office but only have a limited amount of space?

That's where the even more compact IWI might come in. Created by Ecuadorian architects Juan Ruiz and Amelia Tapia, the IWI is a patented, multipurpose unit that can actually unfold to provide extra space when needed and then easily refold back into a smaller footprint when it's no longer in use.

JAG Studio

Constructed with CNC-milled wood, metal struts, and sturdy canvas fabric, the IWI consists of two modules. The thickness of the modules is enough to hold shelving, a kitchenette, and a number of flat-pack furnishings, including a nesting table, chairs, and floor panels. It's all closed off with glass doors, which allow for plenty of natural light to penetrate into the space.

JAG Studio

As one can see here, when the modules are pulled apart, the unit faintly resembles a giant accordion measuring 96 square feet (9 square meters) when it's fully deployed.

JAG Studio

As the designers explain, the IWI is a blank slate where any number of activities could take place:

Inside, all the furniture and amenities have been compressed into the rear module, freeing up the rest of the space for whatever one might be doing at the moment.

JAG Studio

The shelves have been configured to fit a variety of items, including office-sized appliances like a printer.

JAG Studio

We like how even the chairs and table have been designed to fit into the shelves, so that they can be tucked away out of sight if even more space is needed. The wooden components of the IWI were fabricated using a CNC (computer numerical controlled) milling machine because the technology helps to increase accuracy, reduces material wastage, and promotes the IWI's "universality, mass production, and easy assembly and disassembly."

JAG Studio

The kitchenette has a reconfigurable peg board for hanging items within easy reach. The floor is also smartly designed, as it can hinge up to make it smaller for storing away.

We can see the nesting table in action here: when more workspace is needed, all one has to do is to pull out the other section to create more table surface.

JAG Studio

Even with the doors closed, there is still plenty of light coming in, and the glass allows for a great view for this original IWI that has been placed on a rooftop somewhere in the city of Quito.

JAG Studio

From above, we can imagine how much space the IWI can save when it's fully retracted.

JAG Studio

The architects say that the IWI comes with electrical and plumbing hookups, though it can also be used in an off-grid installation.

The pieces are prefabricated within the space of two weeks. The IWI is then shipped to the site, and can be assembled in two days. With a price tag of $7,950 the IWI is one of the cheaper prefab multipurpose units we've seen thus far, and you can find out more or order it here.

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The IWI Is a Multipurpose Pod That Unfolds Like an Accordion - Treehugger