The NOMAD Cube Is a Flatpack Micro-House You Can Easily Move Around

The Cube is a micro-house designed and built in Canada as a means to address the current housing crisis that may or may not entail a higher degree of mobility. It's not a mobile house per se, in the sense that it doesn't have wheels, but it can easily be moved around even after the initial assembly. Think of a house-sized Lego construction piece: that's what the Cube wants to be, one of those tiny Lego pieces that you can put together in a variety of combinations, with whatever purpose, and then take apart at a later date.

Introduced seven years ago, the Cube has evolved considerably, but its essence remains the same: it can be either a blank canvas you paint whichever way you like or a complete solution delivered to your doorstep, ready to be installed and then capable of being relocated with ease. The Cube can also be a full house, albeit a very tiny one, or a module part of a larger structure.

Recent years have seen an uptick in demand for this type of dwelling, both because of the housing crisis and a need to downsize and declutter as a way to counter the effects of the stressful city life. Mobile homes have also grown more popular for the same reasons. They promise reduced living costs and a smaller footprint, but their biggest advantage is the fact that they move around, allowing endless travel options. Like being on vacation full-time or the closest thing to it.

A home like the Cube is halfway between a container home and a tiny house or any other type of RV converted for full-time living. It's flat-packed, so it has a speedy and more cost-efficient delivery, and it can be assembled as a DIY (do it yourself) build. According to NOMAD, if you need to move, it can be easily taken apart for relocation. In fact, some parts are so lightweight you can move them by hand, where truck or crane can't reach, the maker says.

The smallest, simplest version of the Cube is just that: a four-wall structure with 13.5-foot sides called Cube Space. Depending on which options you add, you go up the price range to the other models: the Cube Live that's slightly larger than a garden shed, the Cube Connect + Live that's made up of two connected Cubes, the Cube Ensuite + Live, the Cube Connect + Space, and the biggest and most complete of the bunch, the Cube Ensuite + Connect + Space.

To any one of these models, you can add a loft, where you get a 4-foot high space that can be used as bedroom or storage area, accessible by means of a staircase. Opt for the former, and you get the day living spaces on the ground floor and sleeping upstairs – as well as the closest thing to a home.

The design of the Cube makes it suitable for whatever you have in mind, whether a rental unit, an ADU (Accessory Dwelling Unit) in your backyard, a spare guest room, a vacation house, or a full-time home specifically tailored for downsizing. Each module comes with a 3D-printed steel frame with exterior insulated metal panels and engineered wood, floor and wall insulation, and double-glazed windows.

Depending on the model, some basics features are included, like plumbing and wiring, kitchen appliances, or bathroom facilities, but most are add-ons priced separately – like wall storage, fold-down desks, beds, that kind of stuff – in keeping with the idea that the Cube can be a blank canvas for the owner. Even the interior walls can be outsourced locally to cut costs and for further customization. If said owner happens to be of the most eco-conscious kind, full off-grid capabilities are possible. The Cube can be fitted with a solar power system, rainwater harvesting, solar-driven water purification, and gray and black water treatment.

Regardless of which model you choose, be it the basic one or the fully kitted one, NOMAD promises you high quality and ease of use and assembly. They compare the module to the Ikea of prefab homes, but hopefully, without the pieces you're always left with after putting together an Ikea product, which you feel should have gone somewhere but didn't.

And now, for the most important aspect and the only one that can make a difference for the buyer: pricing. The Cube Space retails for $49,800 without the loft module, while the most expensive model, the Cube Ensuite + Connect + Space, which includes three modules but not the lofts for each, starts at $169,400. Prices are comparable to what turnkey tiny houses are going for these days.