• Home Home

Teenager designs revolutionary tiny homes inspired by Lego bricks and Rubik's Cubes — here's a sneak peek

It could be 20% cheaper to construct than typical prefab homes.

It could be 20% cheaper to construct than typical prefab homes.

Photo Credit: Stories of the Streets

Could a solution for homelessness be found in a toy box? One teenager from California seems to think so, taking inspiration from childhood distractions to design tiny homes.

Sixteen-year-old Renee Wang is the creator of Rubix, a modular home model that takes cues from Lego bricks and the Rubik's cube. The design could allow for little houses to be constructed quickly, cheaply, and efficiently. 

In addition to helping to give unhoused people a safe place to sleep, Wang noted that the homes can also be utilized in relief housing efforts following natural disasters — which are becoming longer, stronger, and more likely because of human-caused pollution that increases the global temperature.

Do you think America is in a housing crisis?

Definitely 🙁

Not sure 🤷

No way 🏘️

Only in some cities 🏙️

Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

On her website, Wang describes how the cube shape and grid lines of the popular Rubik's cube puzzle toy influenced the design, while the interlocking structure mimics how Legos are pieced together.

"The tiny home can be assembled by interlocking 10 prefabricated 3D components — and each of the components accommodates a certain living space, like a kitchen, a bathroom, or a bedding area, or storage," Wang said, per Good Good Good.

According to Wang's calculations, the Rubix could be 20% cheaper to construct than typical prefab homes thanks to easy shipping, fast assembly, and reduced labor. With Los Angeles County needing to spend $50,000 annually on shelter beds, the Rubix could dramatically cut costs and make a huge difference in the lives of the state's 150,000 unhoused population.

With the Palisades Fire in Southern California having destroyed almost 7,000 structures, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, it's also clear that the Rubix could be utilized to offer at least temporary housing relief for people as they put their lives back together.

In addition to making use of renewable energy via rooftop solar panels, the Rubix structures are built with sustainability in mind. Bamboo and recycled plastics are used to create the component parts, ensuring as little damage to the planet as possible.

Wang won a $25,000 Davidson Fellows Scholarship in 2023 thanks to her design, and she's seeking $30,000 to create a full working prototype, according to The 74.

Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more and waste less, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.

Cool Divider