Designed in Collaboration with Bureau V, Offers a Solution
to Challenges of Urban Living
New York—October 5, 2017— MINI LIVING URBAN CABIN will be on
view in the outdoor courtyard at
A/D/O from October 6 –
November 22, 2017. Designed by
MINI
LIVING in collaboration with New York-based architecture
firm
Bureau V, MINI LIVING
URBAN CABIN at A/D/O aims to offer a solution to the modern challenges
of urban living in the form of a micro-living, shared-housing concept.
MINI founded A/D/O as a
creative space dedicated to exploring new boundaries in design. A/D/O
aims to stimulate great design and be a prolific source of new ideas
that improve urban life.
The URBAN CABIN is a compact micro-house (approximately 160 square
feet) designed to fit up to two people, featuring transformational
aspects that enable both moments of privacy and interactions with the
outside world in a clever and charming way. First launched at the
London Design Festival 2017, URBAN CABIN is an ongoing project that
explores the future of urban habitats based on the creative use of
space. As a means of this exploration, the MINI LIVING team has
designed the micro-house as a research space for relevant urban needs
and local cultures.
As the URBAN CABIN moves locations, the MINI LIVING design team
partners with architects in each city to learn and explore what is
unique about their hometown. These local architects then create
Kitchen and Experience rooms in each city’s URBAN CABIN. One of
today’s biggest challenges is the global crisis of forced migration,
which has reached a record high. While this crisis involves numerous
complex issues, at its core is a question of home. Millions of people
from all over the globe call New York City home, making it one of the
most culturally diverse cities in the world. The collaboration between
MINI LIVING and Bureau V at A/D/O in New York City addresses the
question of “home” through the URBAN CABIN, which creates a respite
for the urban citizen, providing a sense of comfort and humor.
“The iridescent surface of URBAN CABIN plays with the angle of
vision, your point of view on New York. Like when you are walking
through the city – the colors are changing while you´re moving. The
interior is a room of inspiration and surprising interaction designed
to evaluate the personal needs of the NYC urbanite. It is crucial to
our design process that we truly understand what makes living in this
specific city unique,” explained Corinna Natter, Experience Designer
MINI LIVING.
Bureau V’s additional “kitchen” and “experience room” combine
assertive and rigid forms with expressive colors and plush materials,
seeking to “add a dose of humor and to provide some respite from the
stress of relocation,” according to Stella Lee, Principal of Bureau V.
“In addition to its contribution to human well-being and to the
lowering of stress levels, humor plays a vital role in the
contemporary media landscape, providing a powerful vehicle for
cultural and political criticism,” says Peter Zuspan, Principal of
Bureau V.
“MINI LIVING believes that the creative use of space is key to
finding new approaches for the cities we love,” says Oke Hauser,
Creative Lead of MINI LIVING. “In an increasingly generic urbanized
world, we can use design to turn spaces into useful and significant
places for the city; places that offer specific local characteristics
and functions to create a unique identity on various experiential layers.”
To complement the URBAN CABIN installation, A/D/O will host a series
of events and workshops throughout the month of October, which will
focus on topics of a changing residential landscape and further
development of the URBAN CABIN into an inhabitable concept for 2018.
The events will culminate in a workshop with AIANY’s New Practices New
York committee on October 27th at 12 p.m., as part of a
series entitled “New Local: Finding Ground in an Uncertain World.”
Additional programming information is available at a-d-o.com.
“Our aim at A/D/O is to provoke debate about where the world is
headed and examine the role that design plays in steering us toward
progress,” says Nate Pinsley, Managing Director, A/D/O. “The URBAN
CABIN encourages us to challenge stale assumptions about housing and
demand fresh solutions that respond to new lifestyles, culture and demographics.”
#MINILiving #UrbanCabin
#BureauV
#ADOnyc
About MINI LIVING.
MINI LIVING is an initiative launched in 2016 as a creative platform
for MINI to develop architectural solutions for future urban living
spaces. MINI LIVING was founded on the belief that it is possible to
enjoy one’s own space while embracing community, and that the creative
use of space is key for new approaches to cities. MINI LIVING applies
its design knowledge to discover new concepts for urban living and
establish smart ways to share resources. MINI LIVING collaborates and
innovates to unlock the hidden potential in urban areas with a
dedication to living consciously and building the future of cities.
MINI LIVING has showcased visionary concepts for shared and
collaborative living/lifestyles/working in urban areas through the
installations including MINI LIVING – Do Disturb (at the Salone del
Mobile in Milan), MINI LIVING – Forests (at the London Design Festival
2016) and MINI LIVING – Breathe – (at Milan’s Salone del Mobile).
About Bureau V.
Founded in 2007 and led by three partners, Stella Lee, R.A., Laura
Trevino, R.A., and Peter Zuspan, Bureau V embraces architecture’s role
as fundamentally collaborative and interdisciplinary. The studio’s
work ranges from commercial and nonprofit buildings to residential
projects, events and performance. Bureau V’s recent clients and
collaborators have included the music nonprofit National Sawdust, the
fashion label Slow and Steady Wins the Race, and the artists Assume
Vivid Astro Focus and Tyler Coburn.
ABOUT A/D/O.
Built for designers yet open to all, A/D/O provides a unique
environment for creative work while also inviting the public into its
23,000 square-foot space in Greenpoint, Brooklyn — to explore design
through a range of installations, exhibitions and events. At the heart
of A/D/O is programming that intends to provoke and invigorate the
creative practice of professional designers, convening pioneers from
diverse backgrounds to spark debate and inspire relevant new work.
The former warehouse features a membership-based workspace with
extensive prototyping facilities, a free communal seating area, a
design store and a restaurant by renowned culinary leaders Fredrik
Berselius and Claus Meyer. It is also the home of startup accelerator
Urban-X, founded by MINI and Urban.us.
A/D/O was founded by MINI as part of the company’s own design
practice and continued exploration of innovations that improve urban
life.
A/D/O
29 Norman Avenue
Greenpoint Brooklyn, NY 11222
FOR PRESS INQUIRIES, PLEASE CONTACT:
Marya Ketchell, Peppercomm
mketchell@peppercomm.com
+1 212 931 6106
Ali Moran, Camron PR
Ali.Moran@camronpr.com
+1 917 675 4377
Mariella Kapsaskis, MINI Communications Manager
Mariella.Kapsaskis@miniusa.com
+1 201 962 6531