The Hub is a 15sqm modular unit that can instantly transform an empty space into a home.

Designed by Rotterdam studio Kraaijvanger, the modules can be easily inserted into a vacant building, so long as water and electricity are connected.

Each module contains the essential elements of a home. Each has a kitchen, bathroom and toilet, as well as heating, a sound system, and even Wi-Fi.

More than one unit can be inserted into a building to create homes for larger groups, or a number of groups.

Architect David Hess said, "The Hub is a modular, easily dismantled system that allows empty buildings to be turned into homes in a few days."

"When a building gets a different function or will be demolished, the Hub can easily be removed and placed somewhere else," he told Dezeen magazine. "The idea is for users to rent or lease a Hub rather than buying it. So they aren't purchasing a home, just the comforts of one."

The design was the winning entry in a competition called 'How will we live in the future?'

Hubs have already been installed in a building in Rotterdam's Zomerhofkwartier district. The pilots are made from high-pressure laminated blockboard and timber boards. They connect to the mains power and water through pipes and wiring in the floor.

Hess said the Hubs could have a huge variety of uses. "We believe different target groups can be interested, it all depends on how the Hubs are placed," he said.

"One family can share a Hub and use BedHubs as sleeping rooms, with the space in between used as a living area," he said. "But a Hub can also be shared by students or refugees. Then the room in which the Hub is placed becomes a communal area."

See also:

Former Fitzroy factory