In this Tuesday, March 13, 2018, photo, architect James Law sits at an OPod tube house in Hong Kong's industrial area of Kwun Tong. Hong Kongâs notoriously expensive housing makes owning an affordable home a pipe dream for many residents. But the local architect proposed a novel idea to help alleviate the problem: building stylish micro-apartments inside giant concrete drainage pipes. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu)
The Associated Press
HONG KONG (AP) - Hong Kong's notoriously expensive housing makes owning an affordable home a pipe dream for many residents.
A local architect has proposed a novel idea to help alleviate that problem: building stylish micro-apartments inside giant concrete drainage pipes.
James Law's OPod Tube Housing is still just at the conceptual stage, but it's attracted attention as an innovative though untested way to deal with housing shortages.
At 100 square feet (9.3 square meters) the tube houses are not that much smaller than Hong Kong's infamous "cubicle homes" - older apartments subdivided into cramped and squalid living spaces. They're roomier than other types of tenement housing, such as so-called "coffin" and "cage" homes.
Law has only built a prototype to test public interest but has already received inquiries from around the world.
This Tuesday, March 13, 2018, photo shows an OPod tube house created by architect James Law at Hong Kong's industrial area of Kwun Tong. Hong Kongâs notoriously expensive housing makes owning an affordable home a pipe dream for many residents. But the local architect proposed a novel idea to help alleviate the problem: building stylish micro-apartments inside giant concrete drainage pipes. At 100 square feet (9.3 square meters) the tube houses are not that much smaller than Hong Kongâs infamous âcubicle homesâ - older apartments subdivided into cramped and squalid living spaces. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu)
The Associated Press
In this Tuesday, March 13, 2018, photo, architect James Law poses during an interview at his OPod tube house in Hong Kong's industrial area of Kwun Tong. Hong Kongâs notoriously expensive housing makes owning an affordable home a pipe dream for many residents. But the local architect proposed a novel idea to help alleviate the problem: building stylish micro-apartments inside giant concrete drainage pipes. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu)
The Associated Press
This Tuesday, March 13, 2018, photo shows an OPod tube home created by architect James Law at Hong Kong's industrial area of Kwun Tong. Hong Kongâs notoriously expensive housing makes owning an affordable home a pipe dream for many residents. But the local architect proposed a novel idea to help alleviate the problem: building stylish micro-apartments inside giant concrete drainage pipes. At 100 square feet (9.3 square meters) the tube houses are not that much smaller than Hong Kongâs infamous âcubicle homesâ - older apartments subdivided into cramped and squalid living spaces. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu)
The Associated Press