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Idea by

Weiwei Hsu, William Felker, Jennifer Kim, Kelly Lei

Oh Dot Zero

San Francisco, United States of America
Our team for this project consists of Designers, Architects, Software Engineers, and Researchers working on possible solutions to climate change.

Call for ideas 2021

Pico Utility Core


Creating an all-in-one public utility alternative for new construction and ADUs.

Pico Utility Core


Creating an all-in-one public utility alternative for new construction and ADUs.
A centralized nerve center that connects an entire micro-home's utilities and communications by taking the principles of a micro-grid, and applying them more broadly across the utility and communication spectrum for housing units.
File under
Type of project
  • Systemic changes

We believe that living in the 21st century can be both comfortable and responsible — without wrapping the planet in wires and suffocating it with coal. This concept will be realized through the development of a "Pico Utility Core", a centralized nerve center that connects entire micro-homes utilities and communications by taking the principles of a micro-grid and applying them more broadly across the utility and communication spectrum for housing units. The "Pico Utility Core", is to capture rainwater and sunlight, store and process them locally, so that we don’t waste materials setting up thousands and thousands of miles of pipes and cables.

By centralizing utilities we aim to capture waste from the utility systems and reduce the strain on existing city grids. One of the emerging uses we see is pairing this Pico Utility Core with 3D printed or prefab home technologies for even faster onsite assembly. This way we can capture the bi-products of natural energy processes


Exploded view of Pico Utility Core

Examples of Pico Utility Core in multiple types of environments from homes, to buildings, to temporary shelters.

Outline of other smaller product which could become viable in other enviroemtns as a product of researching and building the Pico Utility Core

Pico Utility Core


Creating an all-in-one public utility alternative for new construction and ADUs.

Pico Utility Core


Creating an all-in-one public utility alternative for new construction and ADUs.
A centralized nerve center that connects an entire micro-home's utilities and communications by taking the principles of a micro-grid, and applying them more broadly across the utility and communication spectrum for housing units.
File under
Type of project
  • Systemic changes

We believe that living in the 21st century can be both comfortable and responsible — without wrapping the planet in wires and suffocating it with coal. This concept will be realized through the development of a "Pico Utility Core", a centralized nerve center that connects entire micro-homes utilities and communications by taking the principles of a micro-grid and applying them more broadly across the utility and communication spectrum for housing units. The "Pico Utility Core", is to capture rainwater and sunlight, store and process them locally, so that we don’t waste materials setting up thousands and thousands of miles of pipes and cables.

By centralizing utilities we aim to capture waste from the utility systems and reduce the strain on existing city grids. One of the emerging uses we see is pairing this Pico Utility Core with 3D printed or prefab home technologies for even faster onsite assembly. This way we can capture the bi-products of natural energy processes


Exploded view of Pico Utility Core

Examples of Pico Utility Core in multiple types of environments from homes, to buildings, to temporary shelters.

Outline of other smaller product which could become viable in other enviroemtns as a product of researching and building the Pico Utility Core


Idea by

Weiwei Hsu, William Felker, Jennifer Kim, Kelly Lei
Oh Dot Zero
San Francisco
United States of America
Our team for this project consists of Designers, Architects, Software Engineers, and Researchers working on possible solutions to climate change.