London engineers perfect 'buildings-in-a-bag'

The problem with houses is that they're so tricky to build. It might look simple, putting one brick on top of another and slopping some mortar about the place, but you tend to need some kind of expertise to create a home that will stay up.

Two London-based engineers have come up with a solution to the problem, although their design is more suited to war zones and disaster areas than Maida Vale. Wired are reporting on their creation, the “Concrete Canvas”, which uses canvas impregnated with concrete and set around an inflatable mould. There are some great pics on the Wired site.

It’s not often gadgets are made of concrete, and rarer still that you pour water on them, but this building in a bag is one of the best space-saving devices we’ve come across. Next time someone flashes their tiny iPod shuffle at you, point at the house in your brief case and smugly walk off. -CS