Tupperware - MODULAR MATES ® - uniform units

"Shaped to fit your lifestyle ... Modular Mates stack neatly together into one compact unit to save space."

What I have been referring to as an 'irregular grid' may look something like this modular tupperware. A system built on regular units maintains order regardless of infinite variations.

In terms of a modular building this would allow various sized spaces to coincide without disruption to the overall order.

eg. Here I have created various sized spaces from multiples of an initial square unit. 

Horizontal and vertical uniformity is maintained or can easily be achieved by the addition or subtraction of any multiple of the initial unit. 

images and quotes from Tupperware

Modular Technology

 


Usb hub from ebay Angelseller08 composed of identical USB plug components.
The visualy easy to understand, the only reference on the ebay listing to it's ingenuity is the quote " The shape can be changed".
Simple, flexible, minimal unique components, easy and exciting to customise.
I want my architecture to be like this

IKEA Home planner

To help customers integrate Ikea furniture into their homes and lives Ikea provides an interactive online catalogue and design program. The free software available from the Ikea website updates products and prices relevant to your location. Customers enter the details of the room they wish to furnish. Test any combination of furniture, layouts and colours all viewable in 3D.  Finally customers view or print their plan and shopping list from which they can make an order.

Step 1 - Room Design

Enter the details of the room you wish to furnish. Length, Width (or select from various shapes), Doors, Windows, even utilities such as fridges and heaters which will limit the space for your furniture.

Step 2 - Furnishing

In Plan or 3D view customers can place and customise Ikea furniture in the virtual copy of their room. The catalogue of furniture, dimensions and options such as material and colours are shown but prices are hidden at this stage.

Step 3 - Item list

Your shopping list is now ready. Product numbers, descriptions, and prices as well as a total price are displayed. From here one can print it our or call the Ikea store to make the order. Home delivery and installation advice is available.

www.ikea.com.au

Red Ochre Homes: Factory made homes in South Australia

I am pleased see a product home company in Adelaide offering something like what I'm thinking of. They sell pre-designed homes by various architects. The construction is prefabricated and modular, with design options.

An interesting product (plans above) is the next homes pavilions by Energy Architects. This one interests me because it is more of a 'house system', there is no one design, it is a catalog of options. Like a species, there are general characteristics and compositional grammar, providing abilities and constraints, infinite creations are possible.

Design is limitless but speculative - Systems come with limits but can be counted on.

Key elements to me are; -
Product/design/style presentation and options,
Marketing tacts eg. quick build time, sustainability and a substitute for 'brick construction'...,
Materiality -steel frame.

"We work with numerous independent architects to achieve diverse styles of designs, then take them through our structured product development process before releasing to market."

"Within our purpose built, quality controlled workshop facility, we prefabricate and assemble specialized floor systems, walls and roof frames into transportable modules. These are delivered to site where assembly and surfaces are finished by our highly skilled trades people."

"We use technology and innovative designs to produce building structures of equivalent durability and thermal capabilities to conventional brick homes at a fraction of the price."

images and quotes from Red Ochre Homes web site