My company, Meka Studio, has been around in the custom arcade and game-cave decor business for quite some time. Those involved with this company have always had a great eye and desire for custom fabrication. As of late our interests have tiptoed over to automation and the hobby space sector! After growing overly excited we have stopped talking about it and started our own automated tiny space project!
After a week of throwing around ideas we finally had a game plan. Our first living space project would be sci-fi themed! We decided to include as many automated luxuries as possible to coincided with the selected theme. We selected a 40 ft high-cube container as our living space and generated floor plans to present to a focus group. Once the polls were in we got to work!
Being a company that designed and fabricated arcade machines it wasn’t hard to re-purpose our current equipment to meet the demands of the new project. With our over-sized 4-axis CNC machine we were able to fabricate all the custom counters, wall panels and fixtures we 3d modeled.
To date we are 80 percent complete with the project. We have invested $22,000 of our own money into the project so far and wish to do a round of crowd funding to finish the project. We have already taken care of the major hurdles such as electrical, plumbing, flooring, ductless heating and cooling, tankless water heating and network stations. Also the sci-fi theme of the project has already been accomplished through custom wall panels, counters, hidden lighting and paint. All the major hurdles have already been cleared!
The crowd funding will go to finishing the cabinetry, custom lighting fixtures, custom bathtub and add the necessary appliances we lack. Also the sci-fi look of the exterior needs to be completed. We have some automated features but would like to add more if the funds allow. This includes automating the sliding doors, waste disposal, UV germicide, natural and grey water collection, hidden storage, a media storage system and a hologram assistant.
With the ability to craft a good portion of the things we need, the money we seek will go a long way. As stated, this project is already near completion. We would love to be successful in our crowd-funding to push us over the top. With this sci-fi themed living space as our flagship we would like to change the way people view homes and hobby rooms. We want to provide innovative and affordable living spaces to the new generation.
Risks and challenges
Within this project we have a ton of design know-how. I personally have a degree in Game Art and Design and have done freelance art and design for years. Our other members have similar expertise in the graphic design, carpentry and sign fabrication fields. We have had a great game plan and proper execution throughout the project.
The main challenge has been to balance this new project with the current arcade business. This has caused some financial strain as both entities require funds. The arcade side is hard pressed to make enough money to support itself and the piggy-backing tiny home project.
We hope to solve this problem with crowd-funding. With the proper funds we can finish the project and start exploring other ways to utilize automation and living spaces. For instance we are in the works of designing wellness centers and vacation retreats that take full advantage of our designs.
