The Cubitat: Cutting Small Living Down To Size

By John Dodge

CHICAGO (CBS) -- Small space living has become "a thing" as people look to pare down their belongings and their footprint.

In Toronto, a design team has developed a "plug and play," 1,000-cubic-foot home.

The design, which looks like a life-sized Rubik's Cube, includes a kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, laundry room, and closet.

The bed slides out from the bottom of the cube and faces the space for a flat screen television.

On the left side: the kitchen.

To the right: Bathroom (shower, toilet and vanity).

To the back: closet.

(All photos provided by Urban Capital.)

The "Cubitat" was designed by Toronto company, Urban Capital, and Italian designer Luca Nichetto.

The designers say that the "Cubitat" can be customized, shipped and installed in an existing condo or apartment. The owner needs to get the water and electricity hooked up.

"Cubitat living makes small things fun. It's like vacuum packing your home," according to the designers' promotional literature.

One downside is that the Cubitat comes fully assembled, making the installation of a 10x10x10 cube into an existing room a challenge.

Alternatively, the Cubitat would make a nifty guest home--or perhaps a vacation cottage. If an owner had the land, they could simply build a structure around it.

The Cubitat is still in the prototype phase.