A "micro-farming wall" and a roof covered in photovoltaics are among the features incorporated into a prefabricated micro dwelling created by US studio Gray Organschi Architecture, in collaboration with researchers at Yale University.
The Ecological Living Module, or EDM, was conceived by Gray Organschi Architecture and Yale's Center for Ecosystems in Architecture ? both based in New Haven, Connecticut. Commissioned by the UN Environment and UN Habitat programmes, the prototype dwelling is meant to address housing issues from both a social and environmental standpoint.

"Today, one billion people live in informal settlements, often without reliable electricity, water, sanitation or food," the team said. "Meanwhile, the housing sector consumes 40 per cent of the planet's total resources and contributes more than a third of global greenhouse gas emissions." Totalling 230 square feet (21 square metres), the wedge-shaped dwelling has an efficient design that makes use of sustainable materials and simple construction technologies. It also generates all of its own electricity.

While rectangular in plan, the dwelling has a sculptural form due to its sharply slanted roof. Engineered wood was used to construct the cabin, with posts made of parallel strand lumber (PSL) and beams formed from laminated veneer lumber (LVL).
Wall and roof panels are composed of cross-laminated timber (CLT) with wood-fibre insulation and plywood sheathing. CLT was also use...