This Modern Multipurpose Cabin Unfolds Like an Accordion

The IWI can unfold to provide extra space when needed, then collapse back into a smaller footprint when it’s no longer in use.

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 ideas—like 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.

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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.

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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.

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

“The space is extended or compressed, depending on the needs of the user. When compressed, it behaves like a piece of furniture or a shelf. When extended, it becomes a living space that contains everything necessary to fulfill its different functions, such as office/work office, yoga studio, relaxation space, workshop, meeting room, guest room, etc. It allows flexibility of use both inside, and the use of outdoor space (by compressing it), being respectful of the environment.”

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.

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

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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.”

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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.

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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.

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

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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.