Prefab Paco Mobile Studio is your mini home away from home

Prefab designer studio from Schemata Architects aspires to be a mini home away from home (or in the backyard).

The press surrounding the original release of Yamaha’s My Room (we covered its updated re-release on the blog) conjured images of estranged husbands hiding from their families, video-game addicted youth, and the so-called parasite singles (adult children living off their parents). The kind of coverage that succeeds in making the basic need for private space seem like the result of an unfortunate cultural affliction.

Paco, however, puts a completely different spin on the idea—for starters by holding an exhibition at the Happa Gallery this month in trendy Nakameguro. Paco, like My Room, is a prefab cube designed to function as a space within a space, and one that offers a kind haven or recluse. The difference is in the design, as Paco was created by award winning designer Jo Nagasaka and the Schemata Architecture firm.

This 3 square-meter white cube has all the features of the second home away from home that it aspires to be: kitchen, folding table, secret toilet, umbrella-style shower attachment, and hammock for sleeping. The sleek, minimal design even features a “convertible” top, which can be propped open to take advantage of natural light and ventilation.

To be sure, stylish personal space comes at a premium: Paco costs ¥6,300,000 (or currently about $68,000).