A small house raises big questions

PhD candidate Hongyang Wang with the prototype no1s1 in the Student Project House on the ETH Zentrum campus. (Photo: ETH Zurich) - Buildings that own and run themselves: this idea, from the think-tank Dezentrum, was put into action for the first time at ETH Zurich in the form of a prototype. The result is a meditation cabin that shakes up the usual economic and social expectations. The outward appearance of the small, prism-shaped hut in the recently opened Student Project House on ETH's Zentrum campus is enough to arouse the curiosity of anyone looking at it. It is decorated with LED lights, connected to a solar panel and has comfortable seats for meditation inside. However, the visionary idea on which the wooden construction is based cannot be seen at first glance. "It's a powerful vision," believes Hongyang Wang, who began working on the project when she was a Master's student.