PolyRoom is a prefab modular construction unit designed by Cutwork for Bouygues Immobilier’s new shared living brand, The Coliving Company. This project aims to addresses today’s key urban challenges: How can design address our increasing need to do more in less space? How can we leverage emerging constructions methods to address the critical demand for housing? What is home today, after the traditional family? 

In traditional European homes, each room is designed for a single, predefined use: living room, bedroom, dining room, home office, etc. In Japan, a washitsu 和室わしつ is an ‘anything’ room, open to reinvention and continuous adaptation. It has no predefined or single dedicated purpose but is rather a space that can take any shape to meet inhabitants’ changing everyday needs. To reimagine today’s bedroom – and what’s possible in prefab modular construction – we carefully infused the idea of washitsu to reconfigure the space for a range of different activities: sleeping, eating, working, socializing, relaxing, yoga, etc.

Each key piece of furniture and fixture presented a challenge to rethink and expand its usages. The first key focus was the bed. The bed is the thing that takes up the most space in a bedroom. We designed a custom bed to lift and disappear into the ceiling, freeing up space for other activities. Hiding the bed also helps to change the perception of the space, freeing residents’ minds to imagine new possibilities and usages beyond a typical ‘bedroom.’ 

How can we fit a comfortable kitchen and a generous sink into a compact space? To expand the kitchen and food prep area, we integrated a folding cabinet that allows residents to quickly hide the sink and tap out of sight, and open them up when needed. This allows the counter space to seamlessly fit residents’ lifestyles and evolving needs. 

How can we make the shift between working and eating on a single table effortless? The ‘Work Station / Dining Table’ is designed with generous drawer space. Here, one side is dedicated to work tools, and the other to eating utensils, allowing residents to easily change the table between working and eating. 

How can we rethink compact storage to not consume living space? To help open up living space, we integrated vertical storage, bookshelves, and cubbyholes throughout the studio. The wardrobe and cabinets are covered with a sliding panel, directly inspired by the Japanese shoji 片引障子 single-rail doors. 

How can we personalize our living space to fit our everyday habits and needs? We integrated multiple rail systems with modular accessories that make it easy to rearrange everyday items. The table can be moved up to the rails to create a true workstation that residents can flexibly adapt for different workflows. "It’s no longer about the amount of m2 we live in, but about living in polyvalent spaces that are designed to be reconfigured to fit all our intimate and social needs." — Antonin Yuji Maeno, Cutwork Lead Architect and Designer