We were excited to see Muji’s architectural re-think of a house several years ago, but this latest effort is a bit puzzling. The company has announced they’ll begin selling this Muji Hut with a shou-sugi-ban finish and nine square meters of interior space:
While Muji refers to their concept as “radically new,” a close examination of the plans does not reveal anything radical. In fact some of the decisions are downright odd. The Tiny House movement in America often designs things on wheels, so that the small structures can be moved. In contrast the Muji Hut is designed on a slab foundation, which is rather permanent.
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Furthermore the design has no provisions for plumbing nor electrical in the plans and description, but in several photos there is an electrical outlet, and a lamp plugged into it:
Where’s the generator, and/or solar panels and batteries?
Also, in this photo there’s a woodburning stove shown inside:
Yet there’s no visible venting in photos of the exterior, nor provisions made for it in the plans. That’s a rather glaring omission.
The context in which this bedroom hut is meant to be used is completely unclear. The copy reads:
Who hasn’t dreamt of living somewhere they really want to be? The tools to make that dream a reality are now available. It’s not as dramatic as owning a house or a vacation home, but it’s not as basic as going on a trip.
Put it in the mountains, near the ocean, or in a garden, and it immediately blends in with the surroundings, inviting you to a whole new life.
The language evokes vacation/escape, but you can’t place something with a slab foundation on land that you don’t own. So is this hut designed for folks who already own stretches of property within which they can plop one of these down? As it has no running water, functional climate control nor electricity, it essentially seems like a ¥ 3,000,000 (USD $27,000) hard-sided tent.
In your mind, who is the target consumer, and what scenario do you envision this structure being used in?
Source: core77