Small and Simple is Cool, Meet the Modern Day Nomads
In the pre-modern world, humans lived a nomadic lifestyle as the best option for survival. The architects behind the modern and mobile structures in the pages of New Nomads have done the same. From movable workspaces to permanent homes, every page of this coffee table book holds inspiration to simplify, get creative, and channel your inner nomad.
Photo: This trailer serves as the workspace for a Colorado-based brand and design agency, Angry Bovine, that sought to reject corporate culture and bring their designs closer to home, parking the trailer just feet from the doorstep. The 28 square meters inside feature a conference area and three workstations. The trailer represents the possibilities when thinking—and working—outside the box.
A pleasing combination of natural surroundings and glamorous internal amenities make these South Korean accommodations ideal for the less rustically inclined. The recyclable, durable units are mobile, so as to minimally impact the surrounding productive landscape. Filled with contemporary color schemes, furniture, and accessories, the units become translucent lanterns after dark.
Artist Jay Nelson’s handmade vehicle can drive nearly 10 miles on a single charge at speeds approaching 20 mph. The surprisingly spacious interior accommodates a kitchen with a sink, stove, cooler, and storage units, as well as a toilet and bed with built-in storage. With controls centralized in the steering wheel, the operator sits cross-legged while driving.
The vehicle-rooftop tent designed by Portland’s Poler Stuff folds open to create a space large enough for a queen-sized foam mattress. Formed from heavy-duty canvas, aluminum poles, and a ladder, the tent attaches to Thule or Yakima bars, and thus can be placed on nearly any vehicle.
A personal reaction from creator Kevin Cyr to the economic downturn, the mini camper allows inhabitants to weather their worst-case scenarios. In the spirit of minimalism, the camper is towed by a vintage, three-speed Raleigh bicycle. The camper’s interior is stocked with goods that call to mind a childhood camping trip.
San Antonio’s Poteet Architects made this structure from a recycled royal blue container. The space opens to its surrounding with sliding-glass doors and floor-to-ceiling windows. A green roof provides insulation and generous overhangs provide patio shade, while an interior clad in bamboo plywood breeds an air of relaxation.
The elevated sanctuary located on the Balearic Islands in Spain allows users time to themselves without feeling disconnected from nature. Set in the center of a barley field, the translucent structure allows those inside a panoramic view of the Mediterranean Sea.
The interior of the floating wooden egg, which resides on England’s Beaulieu River, is subdivided into a sleeping area with a circular skylight, a separate cooking area, and a washing area. Two plywood structures beneath the waterline allow the egg to rest on the mud below during low tide.
Designed and developed by a NASA architect, the vehicle behaves like a spaceship for earth. Flexible, compact, and simple, the trailer imbues the rituals of daily life with the omnipresence of the surrounding outdoors.