Students envision house community on rails

Designed by Polish architecture students Tomasz Zablotny and Paweł Maszota, the concept comprises a number of expandable tiny homes that could be moved around on existing rail tracks in Gdansk Shipyard.

The concept, also possibly named Little House on Rails (depending on how you like your Polish translated) is envisioned to serve as a commune for artistic types. It should also reinvigorate Gdansk Shipyard, in the wake of the once-bustling industrial centre’s steady decline.

The tiny dwellings would be constructed from laminated wood and steel, and measure just 209 x 150 x 243 cm (6.85 x 4.92 x 7.97 ft) when in a “closed state” – that is, when unoccupied or in transport. When someone is in residence, the homes would pull outwards and increase in length by an additional one m (3.2 ft).

The interior boasts of a small toilet and shower area (with plush-looking fittings), a kitchenette, a pull-out countertop table, and a couch that turns into a bed. A skylight offers natural light during the day, and the homes would get at least some of their required juice from roof-based solar panels.

Because the homes would sit on existing rail tracks, there’s an element of flexibility, and they could be pushed around the area – presumably with relative ease given their small stature. Whether this would be more useful than simply adding wheels and thus lending an even greater degree of flexibility isn’t clear from the proposal, nor are other details like plumbing and electricity requirements, in addition to how the homes expand.