Architect constructs foldable house that withstands earthquakes

With each passing day, architecture is getting more and more advanced be it in one form or another. The latest advancement is a type of earthquake-proof home that can be folded.

Italian architect Renato Vidal has created a foldable house, which he calls the M.A.Di home. The earthquake-proof house comes prefabricated and could be installed in less than a day. The sole purpose of constructing the house was to survive earthquakes by building it with cross-laminated timber (CLT).

The house is build like an A-shape and can be folded down completely flat, making it convenient to be shipped. The house can be constructed in different sizes that include a 290-sq ft tiny home, a 495-sq ft or 603-sq ft double home, and a 753-sq ft or 904-sq ft family home. In all the sizes, there are two levels, a kitchen, a dining area, a bathroom, and bedroom(s), reported Futurism.

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As for the price range, the tiny model costs up to US$ 25,195 whereas, the largest model costs US$ 73,385, as compared to the an average new home in US that costs around US$ 400,200.

The wood specialist Domenico Antonucci that manufactures the M.A.Di informed New Atlas, “Thanks to the home’s steel profile and steel hinges, we can open and close this module with ease. When the module is closed and folded for transportation the packed height measures 4.9 ft, and then when it is opened on site, it has a height of 21.3 ft.”

The M.A.Di features steel frames to support the house’s folding. Polyurethane foam is also used to make it waterproof and control its thermal insulation. The home can also be installed with solar panels, LED lightings and water tanks if required.

The house can be folded up so precisely and compactly that it can also be kept in storage as an emergency housing or as an investment for future since it does not need any kind of ground-level foundation. Another plus point about this home is that its module can be joined together in order to make the home big with the growing families.

“M.A.DI. gives you the opportunity to have a temporary house wherever you want or a permanent house in a building area. Moreover, according to your need and your financial availability you can customize it in dimensions and materials. A M.A.Di construction is ready to live in and is delivered with electrical system, plumbing and sanitary water system, heating/cooling system (air conditioning) and PVC frames,” said M.A.Di.