N.O.M.A.D, or Nomadically Organized Moveable Adaptive Device, is a kinetic system of telescoping tubes deployed to create user defined space.

Arquitectum set forth a challenge to develop a sustainable housing prototype which was ‘neither here nor there’, ‘global yet local’, ‘contemporary yet irrespective of time’; a challenge to develop a housing strategy which could be deployed anywhere in the world and easily understood by all without recalling a specific material or location.  N.O.M.A.D was developed through a series of iterations, opting not to define a material, but rather allowing the ubiquity of the tube to stand as the common language through which all could understand the idea.

In developing our scheme we first wanted to develop a technology which could easily satisfy all the requirements of a habitable space: shelter, seating, working and sleeping. In order to further understand the potential of the system and its applicability to housing, we began to explore how peeling the wall apart from itself could create internal space; internal space which could then be programmed by the user to create areas for cooking, cleaning, showering, working, etc.

In our final iteration we challenged ourselves to resolve the global nature of project by developing the system as a means for revitalizing derelict urban spaces. NOMAD attaches itself to the existing utilities of the surrounding buildings, allowing transient users to have access to vital utilities, and in doing so, it brings energy and vibrance to otherwise overlooked urban space.

Design Team: Moniera Buck, Brian Janeczko, Priyanka Mara