An engineer has created what he believes is a solution to the UK’s looming housing crisis - a three-storey flat pack home.
Dr Mike Page has created the QB2 ‘cube house’, which is 10ft (3m) tall and 13ft (4m) wide and can sleep up to two people.
He says the house is as easy to build as 'an Ikea Billy bookcase' and takes just four hours to erect.
IKEA taken to extremes: An engineer has produced a flat pack house that takes just four hours to build
THE CUBE HOUSE: WHAT DO YOU GET?
The building is around 10ft (3m)-high, 10ft-wide and 13ft (4m) deep.
The bedroom contains a full-sized double bed.
There is also a 4m-long galley bathroom - complete with a full-sized shower, sink and toilet which uses a composting toilet.
A fully functional kitchen with hob, fridge freezer, combination microwave oven.
A dining table which can be stowed to make room for a four-seater sofa.
A two-seater sofa and two ottomans that can be reconfigured for 4-person dining/sitting or two-person lounging.
Low-energy lighting and appliances (including a TV and washing machine)
Mechanical heat-recovery ventilation.
Very efficient heating and hot water using an optional air-source heat pump.
Solar panels on the roof providing power to LED lighting.
Despite the cube’s compact dimensions it crams in a lounge, spiral staircase, kitchen, full-size bathroom and bedroom which are spread over three floors.
It achieves this through ingenious internal design, such as a bookcase that doubles as a mini spiral staircase.
The QB2 will go on the market early next year and range between £10,500 to £45,000.
It does not require planning permission because it is under 13ft (4m) in height.
Dr Page said: 'The QB2 is practical and fits together easily. If someone can put up an Ikea Billy bookcase then they can put this up.
'It goes together like flat-pack furniture, although when a customer buys it they will get the finished product and won’t have to put it together themselves.
'It takes around four hours to put the cube together, however it would obviously take longer when you add I’m the furniture, it depends how quickly you work.
'Most of the furniture inside is from Ikea, which I guess does coincidentally link in with how easy the QB2 is to put together.
'Inside the QB2 there is a lot of practicability, with things such as the dining table being able to move while still attached to the wall, giving more room to move around and also lounge on the sofa.
'The QB2 has everything a normal home has, except it is all scaled down, however, there is still enough room for people, with a double bed as an available feature.'
The house is as easy to build as 'an Ikea Billy bookcase'. It features a scaled-down, fully-functioning bathroom
He added: 'It is quick to put up too, we can build the shell in under four hours, although obviously it would take us longer to add everything in, including the kitchen.
Cosy: The QB2 costs between £10,000 and £45,000. The dining table (pictured) can be stowed to make room for a four-seater sofa
Cutting red tape: The structure does not require planning permission because it is under 4m in height
The deluxe package costs up to £47,200 and Includes a shower, furniture, LED TV, kitchen appliances, bed and mattress, lights, switches, wiring, plumbing, triple-glazed windows, chesnut cladding, cork tile flooring, and is fully painted throughout.
The QB2 made its TV debut on George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces on Channel 4 last week.
Because of the small dimensions, the structure has the same planning status of a static caravan.
Dr Page, who teaches at the University of Hertfordshire, decided to make the cube in order to teach people how they could help the environment.
Lead by example: Dr Page decided to make the cube in order to teach people how they could help the environment
He said: 'I used to be an engineer and I was looking to encourage people to be greener and make pro-environmental changes.
'I thought instead of telling people, I could show them.
'For example, if someone tells you that an LED light is better and explains why, you’ll probably go home and not do anything about it.
'However, when people would say "how is it better, and show me how", I could, all I had to do was flick a switch, it started as a way of encouraging people they could do what I have done.'
Because of the small dimensions, the structure has the same planning status of a static caravan
Bedtime: The rooms are spread out over three floors and the sleeping quarters (pictured) contain a double bed
