YO! Home is the pioneering and intuitive living space that is set to revolutionise the contemporary home. YO! Home was conceived and developed by Simon Woodroffe, the man responsible for YO! Sushi and YOTEL. YO! Home aims to transform the way we live. Space is at a premium in city centres around the world. YO! Home simply expands that space, and acts as the reinvention of the urban apartment, offering a completely new concept for compact living. The global recession has given rise to an additional compelling factor – funds for home buying are severely limited, therefore buyers are seeking maximum value (and space) for their money. Through a commitment to high quality living, without the associated high costs, YO! Home will attract buyers of all ages and backgrounds making YO! Home another success within the YO! brand. Simon Woodroffe says… “Homes help shape our lives. They are our refuge, and our rock. Since the invention of the city centre apartment, we’ve never really re-invented it. YO! Home is that new invention. Moving parts draw on the wealth of engineering technology taken from fields as diverse as yacht and automotive design, and the mechanics of stage production, allowing the transformation of a 40 square metre space (the size of a one bedroom apartment) into what feels like a much bigger home.” Following genuine interest and acclaim for Prototype 1 at the 100% Design Show in London, Simon and Jack Spurrier, MD of YO! Home, set about turning the Prototype 1 concept into a commercially viable product. The overall size was reduced from 80m2 to around 40 square-metres, the size of a ‘normal’ studio apartment. The moving parts were tested and re-prototyped where necessary, ensuring perfection before the launch to market. Prototype 2 was used as an opportunity to try things out, move elements around, and eventually get to the point where we were happy to show the world.
The 2nd prototype (as seen in the attached images) was built, and we are building the first 24 apartments, modularly, in a factory in the UK. Not dissimilar to a car factory, we start at one end and by the time it reaches the other, the finished apartment is lifted onto a truck and delivered to site. The structural integrity is in the ‘box’ itself, so they’re stacked on-site, a bit like lego, and services are connected. This process reduces on-site costs, and eliminates factors such as weather affecting build times, and therefore cost, allowing us to bring luxury living to everyone, at affordable prices.
Jack Spurrier, MD of YO! Home says “Our vision is tower blocks of single space YO! Homes in city centres around the world, from Manhattan and Buenos Aires, to Tokyo and Shanghai, changing the way people live in small spaces whilst addressing the growing population issues. But any journey or adventure starts with a first step. And it would be great if our first step is in Manchester. We feel the size, space, layout and moving parts or ‘tricks’ are right in Prototype 2. There may be tweaks here and there for the first 24 Manchester YO! Homes, but these will be minor, and more likely aesthetic as we continually improve the look and feel of design details such as colours, finishes and lighting. And who knows, if Simon comes up with another bright idea between now and then, we might sneak that in too!”
