With lifestyle trends suggesting that 74% of the global population will be living in urban environments by 2050, Electrolux Design Lab 2010 focused on compact living, giving fresh vision for the domestic future. Electrolux asked designers to consider how people will prepare and store food, and do the dishes and laundry in the next 40 years. Electrolux provided findings from its 2nd Space Age Fact Sheet and its 2009 Thinking Ahead Global Trend Report, which highlight key issues such as urbanization, the evolution of megacities and overall population growth. Analysts predict that by 2025, there will be 27 megacities (with 10+ million inhabitants each): sixteen in Asia, two in Europe and four in Latin America. The world?s largest will be Tokyo, with an estimated 36 million inhabitants. As cities become more heavily populated, interior design solutions for smaller homes and shared solutions are key. The brief also considers issues with urban sprawl, depleted resources and increased energy consumption. Electrolux asked designers to research potential space-saving and multifunctional opportunities based on identified trends. Final concepts for the homes of 2050 came from designers from diverse locations, including Russia, China, Iran, Australia and Sweden, and were showcased during the London Design Festival. “Now in its eighth year, Electrolux Design Lab offers the designers of tomorrow an opportunity to test themselves, and gain valuable insight into the world of commercial product design,” says Henrik Otto, SVP of Global Design at Electrolux. With growing populations and urbanization, design needs to keep adaptability and dual functionality in mind Food, space, water and power will all be scarce in 2050 Technology will take exponential leaps in the next 50 years Megacities will emerge in both developed and developing regions A “time-poor” future of less leisure time and smaller living spaces Environmental solutions to power and food consumption are high on the agenda 74% of the world?s population will live in an urban environment by 2050 CLEAN CLOSET Envisioning a molecular future, Swedish designer Michael Edenius conceived an all-in-one laundry solution. The Clean Closet is a hybrid wardrobe and washing machine that uses molecular technology to remove dirt and odor. It addresses potential water shortages, while providing a space-saving storage solution. After users hang clothes in the closet, they are scanned for impurities and are cleaned according to fabric type. DISMOUNT WASHER Inspired by public laundries, Chinese student Lichen Guo designed the wash-and- go Dismount Washer, which addresses shared services in over-stretched megacities. Identifying the domestic washing machine as an unnecessary waste of space, Guo has combined the machine with the laundry basket. Affixed to a wall of a shared room, an energy stick takes tenants? personal “laundry basket” pods for washing. RFID tags, embedded in each item, tell the washing pod which wash is required; aerogels in the pod ensure that heat is internally contained. ECO CLEANER Within 50 years, most meals will be pre-prepared and may even come in capsule form. Water will be scarce, and food will invariably contain less of it. As a result, washing the dishes will require a new way of thinking. Less food mess and waste will be left on dishes, according to Ahi Andy Moshen. He has designed the Eco Cleaner, which uses ion technology to clean with minimum energy consumption. Any food waste will be retained and turned into fertilizer. Designed as a capsule, the Eco Cleaner serves as both “dishcleaner” and storage. It is covered with nano photovoltaic cells, and can thus be powered by a sustainable source the sun. BIO ROBOT REFRIGERATOR Four times smaller than conventional refrigerators, this concept morphs shape and adjusts volume according to use. Designed without shelves or doors this external fridge can sit either vertically or horizontally, fitting into any space. Russian designer Yuriy Dmitriev proposes odorless, non-sticky biopolymer gel. Through luminescence, a bio robot cools the gel as it morphs around foodstuffs. Thanks to the unique properties of the gel, odors are contained and each item remains at its optimal temperature. EXTERNAL REFRIGERATOR Also considering the future of refrigeration, French student Nicolas Hubert based his concept on his two years living in China, where he observed people storing food on the outside of residential buildings. His concept plays on the simple way people utilize space in already over-populated areas by keeping food on balconies and windowsills during the winter. Space- and energy-saving, the fridge benefits from low external temperatures at night and during cold months. During warmer weather, the fridge absorbs energy through built-in solar panels. THE SNAIL Electrolux winner, Indian designer Peter Alwin questions the need for a kitchen with his portable, multifunctional heating and cooking device, The Snail. Alwin als