Tag Archives: mobile home

Digital nomads can live and work in self-sufficient mobile home

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One of the advantages of people who can work remotely (digital marketers, writers, virtual assistants, etc) is that they can work from literally anywhere. As long as there’s internet and a power source for when their devices run out of juice eventually, these digital nomads have the freedom to set up shop wherever they are and to live in things like mobile homes. We’re seeing a lot of products and concepts targeting this segment and I for one am very interested to see these come to life.

Designer: Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia (IAAC)

The Mobile Catalyst, nicknamed MOCA, was developed by masteral students from IAAC. Not only is it a perfect space for those that want to work while staying anywhere with a view but it is also an experiment into sustainable and self-sufficient habitat with a digital twist. It is basically a 5.4 meter long, 2.4 meter wide, and 3.6 meter high minimalist space that gives you the basic necessities of living. Its interior is made from dowel-laminated timber produced at the IAAC itself but sustainably harvested of course.

The front part of this mobile home has the basic amenities you would need to live in it like a kitchen, toilet and shower, and electric and water systems. In the middle and the back part is the space that can be turned into an office, a meeting area, a library, a recreation room, or even a space for small events. If you need privacy or partitions and also protection from different weather conditions, there are glass doors and a water-resistant cotton fabric that slides or folds with a pulley. There are also two beds on its “mezzanine” floor and you can reach it through a movable ladder.

And of course since MOCA is designed to be sustainable, you have three light-flexible mono-crystalline solar panels on the roof and LED strips as an interior lining. The house can run on its own for around 24 hours before it needs recharging. Water is also self-sufficient as the system stores, filters, and returns the shower water into reusable water. The entire mobile home is built with digital nomads in mind so they can live, work, and play anywhere they want, as long as the trailer can move and fit in that area.

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A DIYer’s remarkable mobile home redefines adventure for cyclists

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DIYs and passion projects often remain hidden gems. Occasionally, one innovation breaks through and captures the imagination to become a marketable entity. Case in point, the Hupi trailer by Urpo “Upi” Merranmaa.

The visionary turned an ordinary e-bike into a remarkable mobile home with his ingenious creation: the Hupi trailer – born out of a desire for adventure! Back when Upi received an e-bike as a gift, he wanted to put it to some purpose, so he embarked on a multi-day journey. His days camping in a tent didn’t quite appeal to him, so he returned to build his own self-contained trailer he could tow behind his bike and rest up in on overnight halts.

Buy: Hyötyajoneuvokeskus

The fascinating Hupi trailer neatly combines the freedom of an e-bike with the comfort of caravan living. Unlike traditional trailers with modifiable setups, the Hupi has a fixed-roof design. Even though the headspace is not much, the single-person living unit is comfortable for sleeping and has a small dinette for your culinary requirements on the go.

The concept of bicycle campers has not really seen an outgrowth like the travel trailers and RVs, but Upi’s relentless to and fro over 5,000 hours to fully perfect the bike trailer makes it a solution worth putting your money on. If you think so, Hupi is available for purchase at a base price of €5,990 (roughly $6,700).

The trailer exterior is finished in aluminum with a thick urethane sheet running underneath for insulation. Hupi roof can be outfitted with a solar kit to power interior accessories and keep the e-bike fully charged and ready to go. On the inside a bed expands to fill the entire interior, providing a comfortable sleeping space for the solo cyclist. When not sleeping, the bed conveniently folds up against the front wall, transforming into a cushioned bench seat.

With its narrow frame, Hupi can be effortlessly pulled by any e-bike on bike paths, opening up a world of possibilities for adventure seekers within city confines. Besides the solar panel, the trailer also offers optional electrical systems, including an onboard battery, and an inverter for interior and exterior lighting and for keeping the towing e-bike charged for all adventures you throw at it.

 

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This prefab tiny home is a smart mobile unit designed to help you escape city life

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A couple of years ago, German entrepreneur Mark Dare Schmiedel got pretty fed up with the chaos of Berlin and decided to move to the countryside, building his own quaint loft along the banks of the River Spree. The peace, calm, and zen that followed, got him wondering whether it would be possible to create a similar, but a mobile form of home, that could provide the same sanctuary to others. In his quest for such a retreat, he came across a mobile home concept designed by a group of Slovenian architects called ‘Coodo’. Schmiedel went on to procure the design rights of the concept, through his company LTG Lofts to Go and kickstarted the production of the units. The modular homes aim to bring you closer to nature, to a space away from the crowds, where you can truly enjoy the beauty of a moment.

Designer: Coodo

It features a curved and minimal steel frame with rounded edges and stunning floor-to-ceiling glass walls. The beautiful glass walls allow a generous stream of sunlight to enter the home. Whether on rooftops in the city, beaches, mountains or alongside a river, the Coodo can be easily installed almost anywhere. The outer shell is crafted from glass fiber-reinforced steel, while the interiors are smooth, minimalistic, and seamless. The inner wall artfully hides the heating, cooling, and power systems creating a harmonious living space.

The Coodo homes are available in a variety of models – based on the need and functionality. The diverse models range from configurations that can serve as office spaces or even saunas! The personal homes range from a sleeping pod to one-bedroom lofts, or even spacious two-story versions (which are still under development). The single-structure Coodo model usually features a kitchen, living area, and bathroom. The living area includes a sleeping section, as well as the main space of the home.

But what really sets Coodo apart from other mobile units on the market is its integrated utilization of smart home technology and adherence to Passive House standards. The homes are built from recyclable materials, while three-pane glass and high-tech insulation support energy efficiency. The shutters and LED lights can be controlled from the resident’s smartphone. A new hydraulic system with optional wheels is in the pipelines so that Coodo units can be even more mobile and portable in the future. A “self-sustainability unit” is also currently in the works.

Owing to their modular form, Coodo units can be stacked to create multiple levels, or even placed next to each other. The sleek and simple units grow according to your need, while also creating a low impact on the environment. The tiny home is a great option for those who are seeking some peace and quiet, far away from the hustle and bustle of city life!

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Retired Swiss fire engine transformed into a mobile home with spacious interiors to accommodate family of five

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Back in the day you’d say, home is where the family is. Today, with life on the fast lane and homeowners downsizing to smallest convenience possible; home is where there’s least intrusion. If your idea of a home is a mobile facility you can live in on the fast lane, hop onto this incredible motorhome that once served as a Swiss fire engine.

The mobile home is the brainchild of Collectief Soepel. It is tiny and compact on the outlook but by virtue of immaculate engineering and architectural perfection, the living space promises a functional home with accommodation appropriate for a family of five.

Designer: Collectief Soepel

Netherlands-based Collectief Soepel is not a household name. But it has been relentlessly catering to the adventure enthusiast; in the wake, it already has its sixth camper ready to roll. For the love of renovation, this one is perhaps the brand’s most special offering. There are two reasons to that: It is tailor-made for a family of five; and that it’s based on a 4X4 Mercedes Vario, retired as a Swiss fire engine.

To make the tiny space comfortable for five members of a family, the interior of the recreational vehicle is realized in a sublime balance of practical usage and sense of space. With use of natural shapes and materials, the space looks far from crampy. There is a birch plywood kitchen provided with ash wood worktop and cabinets sufficing the storage needs spanning the entire length below. Small rectangular and circular windows along with a couple of sky lights allow ample natural light into the living space.

Many details in the interior are created with Platowood however the doors of all the wall units are finished in 100 percent recycled GOGO plastic. What really strikes the eye is a cozy double bed built in the alcove, accessible by climbing handles, and the transforming dinning/living space that accommodates for the sleeping needs of the other family members. A short ladder leads one into the mobile home and on the right side of the entry is the toilet provided with a commode and shower.

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This traveling tiny home goes from work to home and anywhere there is a road

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IMAGO-iter is a wooden mobile home that can be taken anywhere there’s a road for whatever reason, from camping to working.

Tiny homes might be the main show these days, but mobile homes are edging in on their spotlight. Designed to offer tiny living escapes on the move, mobile homes go where you go and don’t require any permits for use.

Whether you use them as off-grid workspaces or campers on the go, mobile homes provide cozy getaways that we can bring wherever the wind takes us. BESS, a Japanese building firm that specializes in wooden houses, designed and constructed a mobile home called IMAGO-iter to join the party and move with our changing needs.

IMAGO-iter carries a 6.5m2 interior volume with 2.4 meters’ worth of headspace, providing just enough room for buyers to customize the space according to their needs. BESS took a customizable approach in designing every aspect of IMAGO-iter, so the mobile home is outfitted with only the bare essentials.

From the outside, the 70mm thick domestic cedar wood facades remain unfinished so buyers can paint the mobile home in any color that speaks to them. When customizing their own trailer, buyers of IMAGO-iter can also choose between a traditional timber or a domed, wagon-like plastic membrane roof.

On all four sides of IMAGO-iter, windows open up to the outdoors so users can always feel close to the landscape surrounding them. Suspension and electromagnetic brakes have also been worked into IMAGO-iter’s build to help ensure stable and safe driving.

In addition to the trailer’s incorporated safety features, BESS conducted a driving test through Japan’s Automobile Research Institute to confirm that “sufficiently stable driving was possible.”

Designer: BESS

The post This traveling tiny home goes from work to home and anywhere there is a road first appeared on Yanko Design.

This futuristic mobile home comes with mechanical legs to traverse the remote terrain of alien planets

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Encho Enchev’s futuristic mobile home concept traverses rough terrain on mechanical legs that bring the home and its residents to even the wildest and most remote destinations of tomorrow.

The future is mobile. In recent years, mobile home designs have changed the way we approach work, living, and travel. Working from home and travel restrictions have inspired many of us to take on a more mobile lifestyle, allowing us to work on the road and travel as we please.

Born out of this collective movement towards mobility, designers across the world have issued their own interpretations of mobile homes and workspaces. Looking ahead to a more futuristic concept of mobility, 3D visual artist Encho Enchev designed a mobile home propped up on mechanical legs that can traverse all kinds of terrain to bring residents to remote and treacherous destinations.

Contained within a cubic frame, Enchev’s mobile home blends the utopian, sci-fi design elements of retro years with futuristic transportation capabilities to create a familiar space that treads new territory.

Supported by a collection of mechanical legs, the mobile home can either remain uplifted, an elevated distance from the ground, or descend from its raised height to merge with the ground.

The mechanical legs are nimble and fortified by a 5cm layer of non-slippery rubber and two deployable spikes on the bottom of each leg, assuring each step the mobile home takes is bolted by some guaranteed friction. Enchev also equipped his mobile home with four deployable harpoons that provide additional support for the mobile home to remain in place even on rough terrain.

Inside, Enchev hoped to achieve a modern and high-tech layout through curved design elements and pops of colors against an otherwise white interior. Finding inspiration in the potential of future architecture, Enchev outfitted the mobile home’s windows with smart glass technology that would function like invisible blackout curtains.

Filled with plenty of household appliances like automated furniture and smart technology, Enchev’s mobile home is all about convenience at the end of the day. While the inside of Enchev’s mobile home is boiling over with futuristic technologies, the living space’s interior design screams the timeless utopian aesthetic that was born circa 1960, when The Jetsons and Star Trek seemed to think of everything the future might hold.

Designer: Encho Enchev

Throughout the home, Enchev incorporated smart technology to bring home into the future. 

Integrated storage space, water tanks, and power cells ensure residents can live off-grid comfortably in Enchev’s mobile home.

Enchev’s mobile home could be stationed anywhere in the world.

Propped up by mechanical legs, the futuristic mobile home can even rise between mountain gorges.

From the desert to the plains, from the mountains to the lakes, the futuristic mobile home redefines the mobile lifestyle.

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This zero-emissions tiny house makes your ultimate micro-living dreams come true for $50,000!

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I will take a smart tiny house over a big apartment any day and that is why I am forever on a quest to find one. Right now, Microhaus tops my list – it is the ultimate affordable, modern, energy-efficient apartment for one. You could be living your best flexible lifestyle while traveling across the country or just want to drop your anchor in your backyard, either way, Microhaus is a super convenient solution. Haus.me is known for building some of the best 3D printed, autonomous mobile homes and this latest addition to their range comes at an affordable price of $50,000 so that more people can be homeowners even if they are in their 20s! The 120-square-foot dwelling comes with a fully equipped, high-tech living space that can run self-sufficiently. Want to step inside and take a look? You can – enjoy the 3D house tour!

Designer: Haus.me

Microhaus has been constructed using 3D-printed structural components and arrives move-in ready with a kitchenette, double bed, bathroom, and plenty of storage. “The Microhaus also comes with our fully integrated Cloud Self-Diagnosis System, which provides a new generation of Smart Home amenities, full remote control, and machine learning,” explains Haus.me CEO, Max Gerbut.




The Microhaus measures 120 square feet and can be fully assembled within a few minutes! The composite structure is supremely durable, its yacht-inspired exterior is made from fiberglass, stainless steel, and teak. It has a modern, futuristic yet overall minimal aesthetic.

 

It is one of the most advanced micro-apartments in the world and to complement its high-tech capabilities, the tiny, portable dwelling has a sleek exterior and interior. The exterior is composed of rounded fiberglass and stainless steel whereas the interior is layered with warm wooden details and illuminated by natural light.




“The unit comes with an array of high-tech features, including a motorized door, touchless access, touchless faucets, adaptive lights, and air-quality sensors” adds Gerbut.




Not only is it mobile and flexible, it is also energy efficient and has low operating costs. The durable unit is made from eco-friendly materials that are safe for both people and the environment.

The mobile home is durable but also lightweight, making it a far better choice than any other trailer home or glamper on the market.

Mirohaus’ interior has a sun-kissed vibe thanks to its extensive glazing and large windows. It features white custom cabinetry contrasts with the natural wood elements found throughout the space.




One of the most futuristic details about Microhaus is the keyless entry and a tight security system that can be all controlled via an app.

The sleeping area has plenty of storage space and includes a floor-to-ceiling cabinetry unit with a lit wardrobe.

The bed is cushy and has a TV installed for an optimized Netflix and Chill experience. Under the TV is a spacious niche for books or snacks!

The sweeping windows bring in plenty of natural light and your favorite views so park your home wisely!

There is a large mirror across the kitchenette which helps to visually open up the interior space some more.

Microhaus has a lot of hidden storage and the cabinet separating the sleeping area and the pantry can be opened up into a sliding desk.

The studio home is perfect for one person who leads a flexible and sustainable lifestyle.

The kitchenette is also fully stocked with utensils and includes a smart waste disposal bin.

The sleeping zone also doubles up as a living space during the daytime.

The tiny house features a cozy bathroom with a full-sized shower and toilet.

“We designed the Microhaus to be the perfect income-producing asset. “Offered at an affordable price, the structure requires no additional approvals or construction permits, and it comes with very little maintenance costs. Overall, it has the potential to provide a fully remote-controlled business, if desired, with a fast return on investment,” says Gerbut. The best part? No roommates, fully furnished, and full freedom to move anywhere while taking your little home with you!

Designer: Haus.me

This Scandinavian-inspired caravan designed for a minimal mobile lifestyle gives the ultimate outdoor experience!

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Hobby’s new Maxia caravan takes to Scandinavian design to merge the mobile lifestyle with hygge living, creating a caravan that feels a lot like your own private luxury city apartment on wheels.

The mobile lifestyle is all that’s on our minds nowadays. Getting away from the monotony of our routines and hitting the road to drive to our favorite camping spot or even all the way across the country sounds like the holiday we’re all looking for. Riding the tails of their Beachy caravan, Hobby, the world’s largest manufacturer of caravans, released their Scandinavian-inspired Maxia caravan that feels like riding in your very own mobile city apartment.

Maxia’s exterior holds onto the traditional look of a caravan, but smooths out its edges and rounds its windows to give the caravan an elevated, more seasoned look. Maxia’s front window slopes from the caravan’s roof down the curved front facade, lengthening the feel of the interior and offering fuller views of the outdoors through the dual-pane panoramic window. With an aim of transforming their caravans into, “the most beautiful places in the world,” Hobby designed Maxia for hygge-style living, outfitting the interior with comfort and simplicity in mind. Available in two different lengths that inspire two different layouts, Maxia 660 WQM is the longer of the two and accommodates up to four adults with full kitchen and bathroom areas.

The dual-pane panoramic window frames the caravan’s L-shaped kitchen, where you can do everything you might in your home’s kitchen, including stovetop cooking with a gas hob and sink. The kitchen also comes equipped with a 157-L Dometic compressor refrigerator, stainless steel sink, swivel-out corner cabinet, push-lock drawers, and even a multifunctional splashback. Moving from the kitchen to the living area, a U-shaped sofa transforms into a bed come night for supplemental sleeping arrangements and functions as a dining area during the day for meals, hanging out, or working. The living area mainly hosts the caravan’s storage compartments, filling out benches and cabinets with plenty of wardrobe space, seating storage, even a heated coat rack.

Sticking to an open floor plan to allow plenty of movement and living space, the primary sleeping area is tucked away towards the back end of the caravan, only in front of the bathroom, for a little bit more privacy. The bedroom keeps a spacious fixed spring mattress positioned atop a sturdy beechwood bed frame that hosts more storage space underneath, accessible via a Lift-O-Mat that raises the mattress to reveal an under-bed storage area.

In addition to the open-floor layout and Scandinavian-inspired design, Maxia hosts an array of smart appliances and utility fittings to make holidays on the road run that much smoother, including a full electrical system, Truma Combi heater/water heater, 47-L freshwater tank, 23.5-L removable, rollable waste water tank, and Hobby Connect touchscreen- and app-based control and monitoring system.

Designer: Hobby

Hobby held onto a more traditional exterior look for Maxia, smoothing out its edges and lengthening its windows for a more elevated, refined look.

During the day, plenty of natural sunlight pours in through Maxia’s double-pane glass windows. 

The bathroom provides even more storage space and comes complete with a THETFORD rotating toilet.

The sofas and dining benches are plush, yet easy to handle for quick late-night sofa-to-bed transformations. 

The dining area doubles as a workspace and living area during the day to offer plenty of space to unwind and relax. 

This DIY flatpack van conversion kit makes it easy to transform your van in a mobile camper overnight!

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VanLab creates high-quality, flatpack DIY van conversion kits just like IKEA furniture kits so anyone can turn their van into a mobile camper.

You just finished Nomadland and you’re looking for a way to turn your car into a fully-equipped camper like Fern’s, but getting the job done is no easy feat. It can get costly and knowing which materials are worth splurging on usually requires an expert’s eye. Nowadays it feels like we’re all considering a mobile lifestyle and New Zealand-based company VanLab is making that possible. Turning each of us into expert camper van outfitters, VanLab constructs DIY flatpack van conversion kits à la IKEA so anyone can transform their vans into mobile homes.

Now available for shipping in the US, VanLab’s flatpack van conversion kits require only two electric screwdrivers and can be assembled inside your van between three and six hours, then all that’s left to do is configure the wiring. Like IKEA furniture, VanLab’s conversion kits can be built by anyone; no carpentry experience is necessary. Speaking to the ease of assembly, VanLab founders note, “Absolutely anyone can build this kit. All the holes are pre-drilled and the panels are pre-cut. All you need to do is follow the simple instructions in the manual provided and screw the panels together.” Constructed from Baltic Birch plywood, the wooden panels come pre-finished and are designed to fit together like puzzle pieces so anyone can give rise to their van outfittings with ease.

VanLab’s conversion kit dedicates space in each camper for a full-size bed with integrated storage and an ergonomic kitchen with a countertop or worktop space. Each kit can be customized for your preferred size and spatial needs. For instance, the kitchen can either remain as an open countertop or be outfitted with cut-outs for a sink, cooler, and refrigerator. Since each kit includes all the tools, instructions, wood panels, hinges, screws, door magnets, and hatches necessary to turn your van into a mobile home, you’ll only need to take care of extra amenities like a portable toilet and leisure batteries for things like laptop and smartphone charging.

Designer: VanLab

Each kit can be customized to fit your van’s size and spatial requirements. 

With integrated shelving and storage, VanLab makes van conversion kits to maximize available space in your van!

Each kit comes with pre-finished wooden panels and pre-drilled holes so each piece fits together like a puzzle.

The kits think of everything you might to make your mobile lifestyle feel like home.

The kits come with countertops that can either remain open for extra countertop space or come with pre-cut holes for sinks and refrigerators.

Just like IKEA furniture packs, VanLab’s conversion kits come in flatpack designs.

This tiny pre-fab home can easily be relocated to any destination for that ultimate nomadic lifestyle

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Designed so that you can have a cabin in the woods, a house on the lake, or a property on the beach whenever you want, the Time Holiday is a mobile home that’s focused on what designer Chester Goh calls ‘futuristic sustainability… or basically architecture that’s nomadic, so you don’t need to build multiple homes.

While the term ‘futuristic sustainability’ definitely sounds like jargon, the idea of a mobile home really makes sense from an ecological and economical standpoint. The mobile home belongs solely to you and isn’t bound by a location. It gives you the freedom to constantly relocate, finding a suitable spot to park yourself and live in, so you’re not stuck in expensive cities, compartmentalized in tiny overpriced rental apartments, or heavily affected by natural calamities affecting your neighborhood.

Saving on total costs and unnecessary construction waste, these modular pods/villas come prefabricated and do not require any foundation. They’re built to be stable, spacious, and structurally sound, and can easily be lifted up and shifted anywhere on the planet without any limitations to terrains and topography. “Wanting to wake up to the morning of serene blue sea, lush green grassland, or a majestic golden dessert in a modular pod that is closely connected to nature has been the driving inspiration to this project”, says designer Chester Goh

The outer structure is fabricated from a single curved sheet of fiberglass, designed to withstand various topographies and climates. The front and side, however, constitute full-frame floor-to-ceiling double-layer laminated glass panels that provide extravagant 360-degree unobstructed views of the outdoors, while helping insulate the interiors. The entire structure is designed to telescopically expand/contract, allowing the house to assume a compact form in transit, and extend outwards to create larger spaces and an extra guest room. There’s even access to a terrace on the top, because what’s the point of shifting your home to a scenic spot if you can’t really absorb the area’s beauty from the roof of your mobile home? Glass of sangria not included!

The Time Holiday Mobile Home is a Gold Winner of the A’ Design Award for the year 2021.

Designer: Chester Goh