Futuristic Nestron Cube modular smart home gets panoramic

2022-06-15 13:49:21 By : Ms. beryl Shah

Straight out of the smart, sustainable suburbs of an extraterrestrial future, the Nestron Cube Two X is a step toward the next generation of modular living. Compared to other Nestron Cubes, it has extra space and big-time views (of Earth, Mars or elsewhere) out of large windows and skylights. All this ultramodern tiny home needs to support smart yet simple living is a scenic slice of alpine, coastal, rural, or cosmic land.

Nestron's Cube series has come a long way since we first looked at the single-room C1 shelter pod back in January 2020. Not everyone is ready to go all in on a studio-style tiny abode of a mere 156 square feet (14.5 sq m), so the Cube family has since grown to include the $59,000+ three-/four-person Cube Two and now the Cube Two X (C2X), which adds 30 percent more living space over the Two for a 377-square foot (35-sq m) floor plan.

Singapore-headquartered Nestron stretches the C2X an extra 4.3 feet (1.3 m) over the Two, giving it a 32.8-foot (10-m) width. The height remains steady at 10.2 feet (3.1 m), while the depth expands by 4 inches (10 cm) to 11.5 feet (3.5 m). The added width is noticeable immediately and supports the combination of floor-to-ceiling window, double front doors and long, landscape-style picture window. The wider doorway makes it easier to move large items in and out.

What a Nestron prefab mini-home lacks in outright residential size, it makes up for in smart-home convenience. Nestron equips the C2X standard with digital locks, electric blinds, motion-sensing lights and a digital music player, offering many more smart features by way of its options sheet. Examples of optional add-ons include smart mirrors, wall-mounted tablets, smart kitchen appliances, a smart toilet, automatic sliding doors, and even smart furniture and structural elements. Occupants can use the smart amenities on their own or integrate them together via a platform like Google Home or Amazon Alexa. Nestron is also working on its own "Canny" AI system to deliver a more complete, integrated smart home experience that benefits Cube dwellers from wake-up alarm to bedtime.

The lack of a house foundation for the C2X is certainly something to be wary of if you live in an area prone to natural disaster, but Nestron says it developed the insulated, galvanized steel-framed structure with earthquakes, hurricanes and typhoons in mind. It also offers customized fortification solutions for customers who want or require something more.

As far as its eco-friendly claims, Nestron explains that 90 percent of the materials used to build its homes are recyclable at the end of a Cube's lifecycle. And with a 50-year structural warranty, Nestron does not intend for Cubes to hit the recycling plant in the near term.

To further encourage sustainable living, Nestron offers off-grid solutions like solar/battery electrical systems and composting toilets. The Cube homes can also be hooked up to the local sewer, water, gas and/or electrical infrastructure according to building regulations.

Nestron offers the Cube Two X in one- and two-bedroom floor plans, each with the bedroom(s), an eat-in-style kitchen with sink and small dining area, a dry bathroom with shower, toilet, sink and water heater, a living room with sofa, and an entryway. Storage cabinets, closets and shelves feature throughout. Available options include in-floor heating, an induction cooktop, a single- or double-door fridge, a projection entertainment system and a washing machine. A mechanical/electrical closet organizes functional equipment and components in a single out-of-the-way location at the rear of the home.

The 18,000-lb (8,000-kg) Cube Two X launched for preorder last week at promotional pricing starting at $98,000. That sounds like quite a break from the $336,900 median 2020 sales price of a new single-family US home, but those homes have a median size of 2,333 square feet, according to data from the US Census Bureau, seven times the size of the Cube C2X. And the C2X price tag does not include options, customizations, hookup costs and other extras, not to mention the land necessary to drop it on.

Nestron ships worldwide, delivering each home as a single complete unit with built-in furnishings and equipment.

You can take a 2.5-minute virtual tour of the one-bedroom Cube 2 X in the video clip below or head to the photo gallery to go it at your own pace. The two-bedroom video can be found on Nestron's YouTube page.