People love outdoor spaces, especially when the weather provides the right circumstances. On days with sunshine, they love to party or just to gather for meals in their terraces/gardens, yet these spaces are the privilege of few apartments.
Hiogi is a collapsible balcony able to give a solution to that. It can be easily stored within its box, which is enclosed in the surrounding reinforced and prefabricated slab system. Inspired by the simple folding mechanism of the traditional Japanese manually operated venting fans the design results to a semi-circular balcony. An idea able to transform any building facade and provide users with extra open-air space that can fold anytime in and out of its box. The construction consists of a steel box, two rotating mechanisms and six aluminium plates that rotate 30 degrees each in order to form the balcony.
Creating folding/collapsible parts for houses apart from necessity is also a trend nowadays. Yet, the Danish Velux “Cabrio-Juliette” is only for one person and the Dutch “Bloomframe” from the other hand requires heavy construction installations. The Hiogi Balcony is more flexible, plus it provides even more pros:
Variations: The façade of an apartment building will never be the same if every apartment has its own Hiogi Balcony. The façade will vary all the time as some users will keep their balconies open, and other closed.
Location: The certain façade element can be placed in newly built constructions or in older buildings.
Flexibility: The Hiogi Balcony provides flexibility to users: This Balcony-in-a-box can be easily stored in so that it will not reduce the sunshine on the lower apartments.
Safety: By keeping the balcony closed during absence from home the user reduces access to the apartment through the facade. Thieves have no place to stand in order to break into the house.
Selling point: Any given residence can now have the extra privilege of a balcony. Every potent buyer/tenant will definitely regard the existence of a balcony as an advantage of the property.
Endurance/Perseverance: Keeping the balcony inside its box, preserves it in better condition than fixed balconies that stay the 24/7 in the exterior, exposed to all climate conditions.
Customization: The Hiogi Balcony provides also customizing options to all users as one can add inner LED lighting or order the PEI Polymer parts in different colours (or even both!).