I’m not sure if it’s simply a matter of providing some personal space in an increasingly crowded world, some deep-seated desire to get back to the womb, or something else entirely, but there seem to be a growing number of pods and cocoons emerging from the brains of designers these days, whether it be for treetop accommodation, a backyard workspace or catching some Z’s at work. The latest comes from Micasa Lab, the folks behind the iRock rocking chair, whose Cocoon 1 is a clear sphere in which you can kick back and relax, store items, or even cook.
Cocoon 1 is modular, with the each plastic sphere coming standard with two Pillow 90 modules and the Foundation 360 on which it sits to ensure it doesn’t roll away. The addition of different modules allows the Cocoon 1 to be further customized, with various pillow modules being the most basic. These pillow modules are available in 45, 90 or 180 varieties, which refers to the amount of space they take up within the sphere. There are also Storage modules, available in 90 and 180 varieties, which can be fitted with a power pack to run electrical devices.
If you expect a little more functionality from your clear plastic spheres, a Kitchen 90 module adds a stove powered by a power pack that provides up to 40 hours of light or 20 hours of light and 30 minutes of cooking. But once you’ve done the cooking, you’ll presumably want to wash up. That means you’ll want to have a Water 90 module installed. This adds a faucet and sink, and needs to be combined with the Foundation 360 module, which includes an outflow pipe.
In addition to the standard Foundation 360 base, Micasa Lab has also created a Foundation Pb base that adds a lead weight to the bottom of the Cocoon 1 so that it can be floated on water and remain upright.
The sphere of the Cocoon 1 measures 1.8 meters (5.9 ft) in diameter and weighs 97 kg (213.8 lb) when empty. Adding the standard modules increases the weight to 135 kg (297.6 lb).
Micasa Labs is aiming to release the Cocoon 1 in the Northern Hemisphere autumn of 2013 for an estimated retail price of US$2,990.
Take a closer look at Cocoon 1 in the video below.
Source: Micasa Labs
