UniPod : Universal Bathroom Pod
A PrefabNZ Design Competition
What if your bathroom and kitchen came to your building site in one-piece like a giant piece of Lego? That’s exactly
what the UniPod is all about. The UniPod is an open-source universally accessible bathroom pod – designed specifically
for multi-unit homes such as social housing, retirement villages, and apartment buildings.
New Zealand is no stranger to bathroom pods – oversized building blocks that are stacked into upmarket hotels to save
time and deliver quality finishes – thousands have been built here since the 1980s.
The open-source UniPod is the brain-child of PrefabNZ, the hub for prebuilt construction in New Zealand. PrefabNZ is
working with BRANZ funding to increase uptake of prefabrication through the Levers for Prefab programme.
The UniPod provides an exciting glimpse into the future of medium-density housing – online instructions for assembling
by manufacturers anywhere in New Zealand. This is similar to how pre-nailed wall frames and roof trusses started, and
now those systems are common-place building components for almost all new-build housing.
PrefabNZ is pleased to announce the winning entry of the UniPod design competition is Wellington’s First Light Studio.
First Light is the award-winning team that originated from Victoria University of Wellington’s School of Architecture to
become the first southern hemisphere entrant in the United States Solar Decathlon competition in 2013. They sent their
Meridian First Light House to the United States to place third overall, and also took out podium spots for five of the
ten competition areas – architecture, engineering, market appeal, hot water and energy balance.
The UniPod design “is innovative and intensive – cleverly combining all of the necessary functional requirements in a
smart wall services core that is highly space efficient. Its small space means a high degree of usability for different
building types and assists with installation logistics, manoeuvrability and cranage,” according to PrefabNZ Board Chair
and Judge Daiman Otto.
The winning team goes home with $5,000 cash and three free tickets to the upcoming PrefabNZ CoLab event (April 6-8 in
Auckland), along with a sneak preview of their prototype design in the flesh!
Kevin Stanley, Managing Director of Stanley Group, warmly congratulates First Light Studio. He says the Stanley team are
excited and looking forward to the opportunity to work on the prototype manufacture of this "unique and well thought-out
proposal". All will be revealed at the CoLab in a few weeks’ time…
Additionally, the judges chose to award the entry from Christchurch’s Welhaus with Highly Commended and two free tickets
to the CoLab. Their design solution “provides a well resolved and thought-out space that allows for a number of
different configurations, markets and aesthetic treatments. In paying attention to the arrangement and spatial
dimensions of the internal space, a highly functional and accessible bathroom space has been created out of a very small
area.” (Daiman Otto, PrefabNZ Board Chair)
The remaining two finalists each receive a free ticket to the CoLab. The entries were of a very high standard and
submitted by Neil Cudby of Tauranga’s Cudby Homes and Ron Seeto of MCP Auckland Architects.
The UniPod design had to conform to Lifemark universal design guidelines, regulatory bathroom standards for
accessibility, incorporate services for an adjoining kitchenette, be cost-effective, be dressed up or down for a range
of housing situations from social housing to retirement and luxury apartments, as well as being structurally sound and
ultimately buildable – no small feat!
Guest judges were from supporting organisations: Dave Strachan of Strachan Group Architects representing the Institute
of Architects, Dean Tallentire of Summerset representing the Retirement Villages Association, Adam Wakeford of Lifetime
Design representing Lifemark, Daiman Otto of Hampton Jones representing PrefabNZ, and Mark Southcombe, Senior Lecturer
at Victoria University’s School of Architecture. The judges were strong in support of the winning and runner-up entries
and agreed that the quality of the four finalists was a solid indication of ‘no.8 wire’ innovation that is needed to
address the housing affordability issues that New Zealand is facing.
PrefabNZ gratefully acknowledges the support of BRANZ (Levy Funding) and UniPod Partners:
- NZ Institute of Architects (NZIA),
- Lifemark,
- Retirement Villages Association (RVA), and
- Victoria University of Wellington Schools of Architecture and Design (VUW SoAD).
ENDS