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Two years after it went up on Craigslist with the simple description “runs, drives, stops, registered,” a 1948 Chevy bus became a bohemian hand-crafted home by the name of Ophelia. Freelance surf-craft builder Ryan Lovelace renovated the interior, which already featured a microbus extension on top, to make it a comfortable residence.

Over 2012 and 2013, Lovelace fitted the interior with built-in couches, a wood stove and a small kitchen. There’s a closet tucked into the back of the bus, and a rail running along the top row of windows holds potted plants.

The wood paneling inside was reclaimed from a demolition at director George Lucas’ house, acquired at the Habitat for Humanity ReStore.

Lovelace also built a wooden loft that he refers to as the ‘sleeping pod’ to the upper back portion of the bus, with a large window that provides views out onto whatever landscape he chooses to live in at the time.

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The precision of this installation was no mistake. The architects went to great lengths to make sure their creations felt like a natural part of the forest, as if the tents were giant drops of water that landed there and remained frozen in place. The design process began with 3D scans of the natural environment, which mapped the position, size, and shape of each tree down to the tiniest details. Yuko Nagayama Associates then determined how their massive teardrops could fit in the available spaces without disturbing the natural setting.

The architects wanted their tents to enhance and reflect the surrounding trees while also maintaining their own dramatic presence. Standing more than 30 feet high, each of the three inflatable tents faces a different direction, its pointed tip visible from a distance. For those inside the tents, the not-quite-transparent material blurs the forest without blocking it out, lending the experience a surreal, dreamlike effect. The pointed shape encourages visitors to look straight up at the canopy and the sky.

Each of the three tents has a different function. One is for sleeping, one is for gathering, and one is for solitary study or contemplation. Visitors were invited to stay in them overnight, their sleeping bags providing their only cover in a place where privacy is hard to come by.

The event took place at Kiyoharu Art Colony, which was established on the former site of an elementary school in 1983. The village includes museums, studios, restaurants, and shops set among birch trees and Yoshino cherry trees, with arts exhibitions taking place indoors and out.

Architectural works on site include creations by famous architects, including the Museum of Light by Tadao Ando, where exhibited pieces interact with natural light; the Kiyoharu Shirabaka Art Museum by Yoshio Taniguchi; the studio of painter Ryuzaburo Umehara created by Isoya Yoshida; and even a portion of the original stairs from the Eiffel Tower. One of the most popular features on the grounds is the Tetsu “treehouse teahouse” created by architect Terunobu Fujimori, which stands on a central pillar of an 80-year-old Japanese cypress and hovers four meters above the ground.

On Instagram, Yuko Nagayama Associates revealed that they weren’t quite ready to move on from their unusual teardrop tents once Hokuto Art Program ed.1 was over. For lead architect Yuko Nagayama’s birthday, the firm commissioned a special cake from Katsutadai cake shop VIN ROSE that captured the scene in sugar, matcha powder, and little birch trees made of pasta.

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Recently, the architecture and woodworking studio Madeiguincho added their own name to that list with their unveiling of the “Adraga House.” Part of a series of “tiny houses on wheels” across their native Portugal, the group’s latest is just a further example of their woodworking prowess. No stranger to tiny homes built with an eye toward sustainability (see the off-grid tiny house “Ursa”), the studio has just created an idyllic iteration that’s perfectly at home in the heart of the forest, but whose design is really meant to be at home anywhere it happens to be.

Specifically designed for a retired couple aiming to disconnect from the busy outside world, the Adraga House may seem aesthetically simplistic upon first glance. But upon closer inspection, the tiny timber dwelling becomes a fully self-sustainable unit built with all the comforts of home in mind — albeit in an off-grid, environmentally friendly way.

Complete with solar power, a method for rainwater collection providing reusable water in both the kitchen and shower, and a dry toilet that allows compost to subsequently be used in the garden beds, the Adraga House is a mobile modern marvel that, true to the tiny home trend, looks much bigger than it appears on the outside.

Though the tiny home is open to travel, the team at Madeiguincho did envision a strong connection with its natural surroundings, specifically the gardens. An integral part of the house itself, the gardens are surprisingly mobile. They come with the house and only require simple assembly to create an outdoor area that’s both lovely to look at and provides a space for food composting and further cultivation.

Inside, the Adraga House goes full TARDIS mode, opening up to reveal a spacious living space that belies its otherwise-minuscule mien. Cleverly designed to maximize space through purposeful placement of both furniture and stairs, there’s also plenty of storage throughout — one of the most important features a tiny home can offer.

With all that storage space, the home – though amply furnished – doesn’t appear cluttered. Instead, its lofty living area houses both a king-size bed and a sofa bed, a full kitchen, and enough space for four people to live in relative comfort, making for the ultimate little house of (sustainable) luxury.

The latest in a series of tiny homes on wheels across Portugal, the Adraga House is a wooden work of wonder built by the creative design studio Madeiguincho. At home anywhere, the mobile, self-sustaining unit is designed with comfort, style, and eco-conscious living in mind, providing its owners with ample space despite its decidedly diminutive size and proving once again that the tiny home trend isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

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“Every year, huge amounts of isothermal refrigerated semi-trailers withdrawn from the market are imported to our country,” says architecture firm Znamy Sie. “Poland is thus becoming a cemetery for these disused trucks. Our project, prepared in cooperation with Good Spot, involves upcycling, i.e. increasing the value of the material and changing the purpose of cold storage to hotel rooms. By renovating the trailer, we give it a second life!”

The founders of Good Spot hired Znamy Sie to realize their vision. “The idea was born during a kitesurfing trip to Hel, where the key is to follow a good wind,” they explain. “What if the hotel room could move around? What if it could stay in places offering the best conditions and closeness to nature?” Thus, the first mobile hotel chain in Poland was born.

Each portable camper unit began as an abandoned, rusted-out trailer in need of some love. And while shipping containers have thin steel walls, requiring a lot of modification to be comfortable in hot and cold weather, these trailers already had well insulated shells. The architects were able to preserve a surprising amount of finished interior space (about 100 square feet) after cladding the interior walls and adding custom-built wood furniture, including storage, benches, kitchen counters, and a bed platform.

Spacious windows in the living and sleeping areas let in lots of natural light, which bounces off the bright white walls and makes the interiors feel larger than they are. The units offer not just one, but two sleeping areas, one at either end of the trailer. At the center of each one is a bathroom painted bright blue offering a toilet and a large rain shower. A metal gangway leads up to the entrance and doubles as a terrace outside. And of course, the exterior is wrapped in stainless steel sheeting to give it the feel of a more angular classic Airstream trailer.

Currently, only one unit is fully complete, but you can reserve it now on the Good Spot website. Three additional units are currently under construction and expected to be made available soon. Each unit will have a slightly different design and can be moved around Poland to tourist areas that don’t typically have comfortable accommodations. The design aims to “blend with nature without disturbing the landscape – it does not overwhelm with its form and does not compete with the surroundings.”

Good Spot founders Przemysław Kwiatkowski, Paweł Kołtunowicz, and Roman Sokołowski, who run the Hotel Service 24 company, came up with the idea before the coronavirus pandemic, but now say mobile lodging is the way to go in any circumstances. Ideal for vacations, the Good Spot trailers could also be rented by people who work remotely so they can enjoy quiet surroundings in nature and even host small meetings.

The team explains that they “change the former cold stores into three-star hotel rooms. We renovate the entire trailer with a running gear. We renew its technical elements, strengthen the entire structure, and arm its chassis. Thanks to this, each room is reborn and can travel thousands of kilometers on the road. By combining the comfort of hotels with mobility, we shorten the distance to nature as much as possible.”

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While tiny homes and RVs have been growing in popularity for years now, the Haus designs manage to combine both those constructions and provide something new on top. Each building is prefabricated, foldable, and delivered in a compact shipping container via truck. Once on site, the homes are unfolded and set up by two people in less than three hours – and that includes connecting to water, sewage, and electricity.

The whole package weighs in at around 9,479 pounds. Hinged edges provide the mechanism for folding and unfolding the homes, which can be repeated up to 100 times. This makes them an especially convenient option for people and businesses who need temporary space and move around a lot: simply pack up and move the entire dwelling. The homes can be placed just about anywhere from a city lot to a vacant hillside. They don’t even need a foundation, and off-grid options are also available.

“The mission of Brette Haus is to fabricate quality mobile homes, considering that nowadays people are flexible and not attached to only one place,” the company said in an official press release.

The company currently offers three patent-pending designs, with around 10 others in the works. Each house is built with the same goals of creating a healthy, versatile space that can be used as an escape, an office, or even a guest house. All of their tiny home designs were inspired by Scandinavian minimalism. Brette Haus founder and CEO Gennadii Bakunin told Insider he was inspired by the shipping container home trend, as well as a “rustic and a bit Nordic” look.

Only the basic features are included in the baseline models, but the design’s modular aspect allows owners to add features that range from a full IKEA kitchen to off-grid solar kits. Each Brette Haus comes with a minimally equipped kitchen, a bathroom, a living room, and a bedroom.

The Rustic model is available in three sizes ranging from 237 to 506 square feet. It features a tall, steep roofline, copious windows, and a fold-out patio.

The Compact model comes in 193-square-foot and 290-square-foot options. The exterior is boxy and business-like with large windows and room for the basics.

The Urban also offers two sizes, 270 and 420 square feet. This modern style features two full stories, resembling one box stacked on top of the other.

All designs evolved from customer feedback and a “passion for optimization,” according to Bakunin. Costs range from $22,000 to $61,500 USD. Customers in Europe can receive their tiny home in eight weeks, delivered and installed on site. Americans will have to wait around 12 weeks for the same service. While the buildings are mobile and don’t necessarily require permits, regulations vary widely from one area to another.

Even with building components composed of natural, recyclable materials, Brette Haus tiny homes are still designed to withstand harsh weather conditions. While most of the homes sold are currently being used by tourism-related businesses, their potential is endless. They offer a solution for temporary housing following a natural disaster, an answer for homelessness, and a clean option for construction site offices, among many other uses.

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Fully equipped with all the things health professionals might need in an underserved area, these shipping container clinics are constructed off-site and shipped wherever they’re needed, whether that’s a rural area lacking the kind of medical infrastructure needed to address a crisis like COVID-19 or an overloaded urban hospital. And since it’s so compact and already the standard size shipped by trucking companies, it’s easy to move and locate just about anywhere, requiring no foundation or other prep work. It just has to be hooked up to electricity and running water.

The Startup Scene reports that “within urban centers, it also provides a solution for sporting clubs, residential compounds, and doctors for whom the process of finding, renting, and setting up a space for a clinic is not accessible or affordable. Fully portable and made with all antibacterial materials, the product is also fully customizable.”

“The first pilot will be delivered within a month, along with a team that will be managing the operations of the unit,” says Youssef Farag, Qubix co-founder and COO. “And then we’re hoping to become a go-to option for all health providers, as well as providers of medical supplies.”

Founded in 2016 by two young entrepreneurs, Qubix has created and delivered over 50 unique shipping container buildings to clients in all sorts of industries. They say their prefabricated shipping container architecture saves up to 30 percent compared to conventional building methods, and they offer fully customizable projects based on each client’s needs and ideas.

Shipping containers have taken off over the last decade as a fast, cheap basis for buildings. They can have a lot of benefits, but only when they’re properly decontaminated, insulated, ventilated, and finished. Unfortunately, used shipping containers are often made with potentially toxic materials and used to transport toxic goods, and their interiors can get very hot and build up condensation. After all, they were originally made for goods, not humans.

While many shipping container building concepts are pure fantasy, with renderings depicting the crates stacked in ways that aren’t structurally sound, Qubix appears to take a more realistic approach. Most of their projects feature single-height shipping containers placed adjacent to each other, sometimes within a steel framework that adds on additional terraces, balconies, and usable rooftop space with stairs. The interiors are finished like a conventional building, and much of the exterior walls are replaced with large expanses of glass to make sure they feel bright and spacious.

The Qubix team explains that their members “share a dream that cannot be contained, we are fueled by believing we can do things better and faster than our competitors as well as attempt exciting and daring projects that others wouldn’t. Quality is synonymous with our brand and we will always strive to add value to our clients through our services and products which we constantly develop in order to stay fresh, unique, and innovative.”

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The results of each project made with the firm’s “Plugin House” parts are refreshingly creative, adapted for the individual needs and requirements of each particular occupant. The layout, shape, size, and color vary by project, with elements inspired by avant-garde European architects of the 1960s and 80s and the Japanese Metabolism architecture movement.

Introduced a few years ago, the Plugin concept is often used to revitalize dilapidated buildings, with the elements “plugging in” to the existing structures to provide living spaces with all the bells and whistles you’d expect from a modern home without requiring the demolition of the historic structures beside them. They’ve already been used to augment several of Beijing’s historic Hutong houses, making them habitable again.

In 2018, PAO collaborated with the Shenzhen Institute of Building Research to create “Lakeside Plugin Tower,” a particularly visually pleasing structure offering two spacious levels of living areas while barely touching the land upon which it sits. That makes it an environmentally sensitive option for the landscape, allowing it to leave behind very few signs of its presence when it’s ultimately dismantled and moved.

The research facility wanted to experiment with modern sustainable architecture that could occupy unused spaces around the country without necessarily developing them, leaving their usage flexible for future recreation, agriculture, wildlife habitats, and more. That way, more housing can be created to accommodate burgeoning populations and decrease some of the congestion in cities.

As you can see, the results are pretty impressive — and not boring in the least. The diagonal supports that lift the buildings up off the ground give them an open, dynamic feeling, and make it possible to stack the volumes offset from each other for interesting configurations. On top of that, the individual crate-like boxes that make up rooms within each home can be angled to take advantage of prime views, and their roofs can even be used as terraces.

The architects add: “The Plugin House demonstrates the possibilities of smaller, more sustainable living for contemporary urban landscapes. Cities across the US and Canada are adopting new policies that encourage homeowners to build small houses in their backyards as a way of providing much needed low-cost housing. Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) can generate supplemental rental income for homeowners, helping to counter NIMBYism and resistance to the densification of neighborhoods.”

“ADUs provide an alternative to the suburban expansion of cities. Through infill, new residents take advantage of existing infrastructure, public services, and community networks. While these policies are gaining momentum, the cost of building ADUs remains beyond the reach of most people. The Plugin House can potentially cut costs in half, making ADUs an affordable housing option.”

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Snails and turtles are so lucky, carrying their homes with them everywhere they go. You can recreate the experience with a huge mobile home, but it isn’t quite the same. This rolling Snail Shell System, designed by N55, is more like the smaller shelters borne by snails: light, tiny and infinitely portable. With just enough room inside for one person, the shelter can be rolled just about anywhere.

Walking behind the wheel as it rolls is one way to move it from here to there, but it can also be turned into a small boat for traversing soggy locales. A resident can move it hamster wheel-style by walking inside, or it can be hitched to a vehicle and towed. Several Snail Shells can be networked to form a temporary community, or a single unit can be stashed in a regular parking space. For particularly hairy situations, the tiny dwelling can even be buried in the ground with only the entrance hatch exposed.

Inside, a gear box holds essentials like water containers, plastic bags, a flashlight, alcohol burner and kettle. A second container functions as a toilet when lined with a plastic bag, though presumably one would only want to use this in an emergency. The Snail Shell emergency shelter system is obviously not meant to be a long-term housing solution, but could be invaluable in the event of a natural disaster that forces quick evacuation.

“The SNAIL SHELL SYSTEM is a low cost system that enables persons to move around, change their whereabouts and live in various environments. One unit supplies space for one person. It is mobile both on land and water. One person can move it slowly, either by pushing it like a wheel, walking inside it or on top of it On water it can be rowed, moved by a kite or hooked up to a vessel, for example, a ferry. The unit rests on one flat side and can be anchored in lakes, rivers, harbours or at sea. On land, it can be placed in city spaces, fields, forests etc The SNAIL SHELL SYSTEM takes up very little space and can easily be placed in a discreet way. It can be buried in the ground, exposing only the entrance. It can also function as a comfortable space inside existing buildings Several units can meet up and form temporary communities The unit can be hooked up onto existing infrastructure like telecommunication lines and electricity cables (for example, by connecting it to street lamps). “

“If special devices are added, the unit can supply its own energy The SNAIL SHELL SYSTEM can also be used for transporting different items and it can provide protection for persons when they participate in situations like demonstrations.”

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In this case, the sum is more than the parts – and the building footprint tells only half of the story. Push a button and things begin to unfold, revealing not just a deck but a lofted sleeping area and other pop-out amenities all hiding in the shell of a conventional cargo shipping container.

While it has evolved through various concepts and prototypes, the primary features of the Port-a-Bach cargo container home include “a fully enclosed exterior steel shell (when folded up), appointed with large internal storage cupboards and shelves / stainless steel kitchen and fittings / bathroom with open shower, sink, composting toilet. Fabric screen system gives the versatility of creating rooms within the large open living space: includes bunk beds, double bed room, dressing room, kitchen and bathroom.”

Outside, an “exterior canvas screen system allows to shelter the deck area for comfortable indoor/outdoor flow and living. 6 concrete footings form a stable, non-invasive ‘foundation’, allowing you to situate the unit on a wide range of ground conditions.”

Its mobility and significant flexibility of use are perhaps its key selling points, as well as its durability: close it down and lock it up when not in use and it can withstand the elements, as cargo containers were made to do.

“Atelier workshop believe up-cycling containers can be an effective answer for large scale projects and if portability, site access, robustness, security are issues. The Port-a-Bach prototype was built in Hangzhou, China and shipped to New Zealand. It is now part of the permanent collection of Puke Ariki Museum, New Plymouth. We have also developed prototypes of fittings that use the existing container connections to attached solar and wind equipment. Atelierworkshop’s Port-a-Bach is not in production but we do accept commissions to design customized container building solutions .”

“A HOLIDAY HOME
– portable,
– secure,
– high-level finish,
– designed to be environmentaly clean
– comparatively inexpensive,
– comfortably sleeps two adults and two children. “

Read more on the Bonnifait + Geisen website.

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“AB Workspace” is the firm’s own mobile office, designed to act as both a demonstration of their abilities and a practical space that’s accessible to three key Lebanese districts. Its rural location makes it easy to travel back and forth, and also gives it a certain level of exposure it might not have in a crowded urban setting.

The brand new studio, led by interior architect Ali Bazzi, specializes in a range of practices: architecture, interior architecture, design, landscaping, scenography, 3D visualization, set design, furniture design, and product design. You can see examples of just about all of these in the tiny 237-square-foot cabin.

Set against a backdrop of mountains and sky, the workspace has a decidedly theatrical flair. Upon entering, visitors find black and white interiors full of dynamic lines like triangular windows that make the space feel larger than it really is. The firm’s own lighting, furniture, and other details, including a metallic desk, add up to a cohesive representation of its signature aesthetics. A ladder leads to the rooftop terrace, offering spectacular views of the surrounding landscape.

But part of what makes the AB Workspace great is the fact that it doesn’t just feel like a showroom. It’s functional, it’s eye-catching, and it stands as a cool example of the tiny office trend in its own unique way.

Designed to be self-contained, the workspace includes its own rainwater collection and storage on the roof, and it’s powered entirely by solar panels. It’s also partially prefabricated and sized to be easily picked up and transported to a new location, if the firm should ever want to move it. Completed in 2018, the workspace takes full advantage of its location without being restricted by it.

The AB team explains: “This new cabin has been a totally new challenge for us at AB architects as it was all about achieving our vision, creating an innovative workspace that connects us with our diverse client base with all possible luxury, and invit[ing] people to experience good design as an investment to evolve along with our work culture.”

AB Workspace is also part of a larger trend toward small mobile workspaces, whether they’re built by and for architects or commissioned for personal use. Some, like this one, are semi-permanent, installed at a certain location with the possibility of moving elsewhere in the future. Others are truly portable, perhaps housed in campers, vans, or trailers so their owners can decide where they want to work on any given day and make it happen.

Is that living the dream or what?

The post Modern Mobile Workspace Shows Off AB Architects’ Chops first appeared on Dornob.

If you’re ever torn between purchasing a boat or an RV and you’ve got roughly $1.2 million dollars in the bank, here’s a solution that gives you the best of both worlds: a luxury RV that can be driven straight into water. The Terra Wind Amphibious Motorcoach looks like an ordinary recreational vehicle to the point that passersby often panic when they watch the owners prepare to plunge it into a river or lake. What they don’t know is that this thing doesn’t just float, it cruises effortlessly along at up to 7 knots.

The 42.5-foot RV-yacht combo features an aluminum hull, a porch that doubles as a swim deck, a padded leather dashboard resembling an aircraft cockpit, an onboard computer docking system with internet access, GPS, moving maps and navigational charts.

The interior of this amphibious vehicle is fully customizable in terms of floor plan, floor coverings, cabinetry, electronics, entertainment systems and built-in furniture, and includes a fully-loaded kitchen and home theater. You can even have a mirrored ceiling, if so desired.

All of the vehicle’s heaviest components, including the diesel engine and fuel tanks, were installed in the lowest part of the hull to prevent it from capsizing, and the three-section hull is specially designed to make it stable in the water. You might imagine that all of that extra weight would make this thing crawl on highways, but it can reach speeds of up to 80 mph. The most basic model starts at $850,000.

Despite all reassurances, you’d probably have to put a lot of trust into the manufacturer that this thing isn’t going to tip over or sink in the water, given how rare vehicles like this are. Plus, you can really only enjoy the water from one narrow doorway on the back end, unless you climb up onto the roof. One also has to wonder just how poor the gas mileage is on a vehicle this cumbersome. But obviously, there are some folks out there that want  to purchase the Terra Wind Amphibious RV and vehicles like it. Would you?

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It says something about a design (particularly for a fast-paced mobile house) when someone can look at it three decades later and still marvel at the simple, efficient and effective use of materials and space.

Created by Dutch designer  Eduard Bohtlingk, the name of this classic award-winner means ‘The Awning’ – a fitting description of the fold-down mechanism at the heart of its ingenuity.

On the road, it folds up to look like any other camper, but once on site, it deploys to have a footprint three times the size of the main volume, simply by having the walls turn into floors on either side.

Add a few pieces of furniture to these auxiliary spaces and they become functional overflow for living and sleeping, while the core functions remain housed in the central area. When stored up for the season, it’s incredibly compact – especially compared to standard trailers and recreational vehicles.

From Campanda:

“The magic happens when the trailer’s side walls are opened and the accordion-like awnings come down to create two new living compartments. In seconds, you can effectively triple the living space into 290 square feet — enough room for up to six campers.”

“While the bedroom awning shields light and provides privacy, the other awning is made of a transparent but weatherproof plastic. In nice weather, the awnings can be retracted like the ceiling of a convertible — making it possible to sleep under the stars or spend a breezy morning under a summer sky without ever leaving your couch.”

“Only a few prototypes of the De Markies trailer were ever produced. But with the growing “tiny house movement” there has been a revival of interest in Böhtlingk’s design. It may only be a matter of time before this visionary concept becomes a viable reality and De Markies trailers start appearing in your local RV park.”

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