Tiny houses are very popular these days, even though some might argue that they're not exactly worth the hype given their pricing and the fact that they seem to have pushed all sustainability efforts to the side. Not the same could be said about POD-Idlala, though.
POD-Idlala is a tiny mobile home initially introduced to the public in 2015. We've covered it before, as the tiny house movement was just taking flight in early 2021, and tiny houses were striving to move from the fringe into the spotlight. Today, it still holds its own as a versatile, super-affordable, and super-sustainable nano-home with no rival.
There's a catch, of course. The POD-Idlala is a mobile home in the sense that you can move it, with or without unpacking it, to another location if you want to, but it's not a trailer-based unit. It's not a caravan, either, so it lives at the intersection between truly mobile homes and brick-and-mortar units or, at best, container homes.
The POD-Idlala lives in its own special category, better said.
Photo: POD-Idlala
It's a pod-like home with some mobility to it, an easier construction because it's prefabricated so it only requires assembly on-site, and a compact footprint that meets all the requirements of tiny living. It enables intentional living and downsizing yet still offers the basics for comfortable living by means of versatile, multi-functional spaces.
The POD-Idlala is now offered as a flat-pack unit you can assemble yourself with help from a certified engineer, either as a single pod for dual-person residency or as a modular unit with a customizable layout. The prototype unit unveiled in 2015 has been on display (and available as a rental) in Hyde Park and then the Nirox Sculpture Park in Johannesburg, South Africa, and remains the most popular unit ever assembled.
Designed by architect Clara Da Cruz Almeida and Collaborate000, the POD-Idlala puts a very surprising spin on the idea of a mobile home by suggesting the smallest footprint possible as a starting point. The home requires only 24 square meters (258.3 square feet) of open land to set up, some footpegs, and probably earth anchors, depending on the area of construction.
Photo: POD-Idlala
The pod itself takes even less space than that. The total living footprint is 20.52 square meters (221 square feet), but that includes a mezzanine and two decks, one of which functions as an open-air lounge. The ground floor holds a kitchen and dining room, a bathroom, and a space that can double as an occasional guest room or a home office.
In writing, this might sound like a typical tiny house layout, but in reality, there's nothing typical about the POD-Idlala. Everything from the furniture to the way in which areas become whatever "room" with whatever functionality you require at any given moment is customized for the use of the residents.
For example, the dining table can fold in and "disappear" from sight or can turn into a home office. The shower is actually a transition room that bears no sign of its former functionality once you turn off the water, which then collects under a metal tray under the floor. Even storage racks and light fixtures can move, so you get whatever you need, whenever you need, and with as little effort as possible.
Photo: POD-Idlala
As Almeida explains in a recent video, also available at the bottom of the page, the goal behind the creation of the pod was to make buying a house as easy as buying a car, from the process itself to the convenience and ease of use. It can be used on the grid or rendered self-sufficient, though the latter is the owner's responsibility entirely.
The POD-Idlala is also among the most sustainable options of alternative housing around. This includes the weatherproof envelope, the passive ventilation system that renders the use of AC or heating pointless, and a water recirculation system.
Materials used in the construction are locally sourced (Almeida takes pride in using no imported materials) and chosen for their durability: wood, steel, and aluminum for the frame and shell, and titanium for the roof. Almeida says that, while incredibly small, this pod is something you can leave in your will, as it's guaranteed for the next 300 years.
Photo: POD-Idlala
Almeida wanted to build a home for those who couldn't afford anything else on the traditional housing market or who were already considering downsizing for whatever reason. She wanted that home to be sustainable and possibly mobile so owners could relocate with it if they had to. That home became the POD-Idlala, one of the smallest entries on the tiny house market and one with a surprising degree of versatility, as well.
The pod is offered as a bare-bones model, a starter or a deluxe version, a single unit that can sleep two adults (or a young family of three), or a modular unit that can be combined into other pods to obtain larger homes with 5 to 6-person occupancy. Prices start at ZAR270,000 or US$14,200 at the current exchange rate and go as high as ZAR800,000, or US$42,000, for the deluxe version that comes ready to move in.
The bad news is that the POD-Idlala is only available in South Africa. The good news (*-ish) is that overseas customers can reach out to the architect and get her to consult on plans for a similar building. You won't get the actual pod, but it'll still be better than starting from scratch.
Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends. Full profile
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