BoxPod
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No, it's form moulded. However it's very light.
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I like the idea Pete, and your images of it of course are outstanding. How many square feet total? It's a tad nicer than the modulars (pre-cast concrete correctional cells) that I have been working with lately. You may want to use a combi-unit for the sink/toilet to save on connections and piping space. It will also open up the bathroom portion.
Dean
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Like it. My wife recently went to help train staff at a hotel. I noticed all the bathrooms were of this kind of design, and were craned in plugged and plumbed in. The rest of the hotel was of more traditional construction. I seem to think Kengo Kuma designed a plastic house but not a micro one. How about a Kalwall panel to make the door with a moulded edge.
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Well, this is something new. I like very much the concept, the material it's a plastic mass I presume. The insulation method I see for this thing is mineral foam inside the walls. The roof should have a hidden inclination for the water to come down somehow through the wall.
Great one. The images are awesome too
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@bytor said:
I like the idea Pete, and your images of it of course are outstanding. How many square feet total? It's a tad nicer than the modulars (pre-cast concrete correctional cells) that I have been working with lately. You may want to use a combi-unit for the sink/toilet to save on connections and piping space. It will also open up the bathroom portion.
Dean
Dean, it's roughly 81 sq/ft. I thought about the combi unit but opted against that as I could not see anyone brushing their teeth over a toilet bowl, and I was thinking either PVC or flexi pipe to tie in the plumbing which is very inexpensive.
Insulation of a unit like this would work similar to a picnic cooler, keeping cool in summer or warm in winter.
The plastic used will be at least 50% recycled, durable, water resistant, vandal and graffiti proof, solid and inexpensive.
Another thing is one can charge by the hour or day, electricity can be pay as you go, like the Euro Meter method, but thats a final user issue, I'm more concerned about creating the most cost effective, easy to manufacture product.
Imagine this scenario…
You have travelled from the USA to London for the 2012 Olympics, accommodation is very scarce and pricy, you only need a place to sleep, shower and a secure place to leave you bags and belongings. You are going to be out most of the day, eating at food courts or restaurants, in a pub at night, getting back late to a secure place to sleep and shower in the morning before going out again.
At a price like $30 p/day this could be a very attractive option for most.
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Neat idea, Pete. I'd add little feet on each corner and the center to facilitate placement via forklift. These could be molded in as an integral part of the design. I could see a semi trailer pulling up to a venue with 5 or 6 on the back (standard trailer is 53' x 8.5'), an off-road forklift sets each one on the gravel/grass - quick and easy! I'd also put a little 2" high "bumper" ridge running horizontally around the top and bottom to add a little strength, and so if the units are bumped into each other the flat sides are not all scratched up.
If cheap enough, they could even be used for temp housing at 2-7 day races, concerts, rallys, you name it. As I think someone already mentioned, it would be best if they were designed to fit on top of one another to be stacked 2-3 units high for storage in off-seasons.
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Those units need to be collapsible somehow. If the top and bottom were removable and all parts mated into one another you'd have a serious means of transporting large quantities.
Ever see those car roof luggage containers? If the top and bottom of your boxpod became the container with the walls housed within maybe?
It's an impressive concept. The only thing that stands out is the volume they take when idle.
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Like this:
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There was a truck here a minute ago?
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@unknownuser said:
Those units need to be collapsible somehow. If the top and bottom were removable and all parts mated into one another you'd have a serious means of transporting large quantities.
Ever see those car roof luggage containers? If the top and bottom of your boxpod became the container with the walls housed within maybe?
It's an impressive concept. The only thing that stands out is the volume they take when idle.
Collapsable will be a problem as they are form moulded for structural strength as well as having all wiring and plumbing within the shell.
(I edited the image and reposted, sorry about that it screwed with the flow.)
Stackable I agree with, that way you can store it like a shipping container yard.
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Here's a picture of the feet I'm talking about, also maybe use a similar idea to make them have indents on top for stacking
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Great Idea.
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Those pods would become magnets for devilment at music festivals. You awake after a booze fuelled slumber to find the door is now facing terrafirma.
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@unknownuser said:
Those pods would become magnets for devilment at music festivals. You awake after a booze fuelled slumber to find the door is now facing terrafirma.
Rich, I can see you are a football hooligan, just for thinking of that.
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While your concept is related to emergency housing. They do have other uses. And offer lots of advertising space. Festivals would be ideal if properly policed from shenanigans.
I just can't stomach the size. Must be a Texan thing
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@unknownuser said:
While your concept is related to emergency housing. They do have other uses. And offer lots of advertising space. Festivals would be ideal if properly policed from shenanigans.
I just can't stomach the size. Must be a Texan thing
The size? too small or too big? in Texas everything is too big.
There are hundreds of uses for this, from construction site accomodation, to hikers refuge.
Here are some images of loading and storage.
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Pete its a nice concept but there is a very fundamental flaw IMHO. The purpose for these is to be portable. You have provided plumbing concealed in the design itself. But from where do you take the water supply to run that plumbing system, more importantly where does the sewage that you flush down the toilet go to? It would need some sort of Sewage treatment plant and some sort of water supply to get those bathrooms to work. Which would mean setting them up at some place and connecting all the housing units to them. Which would mean higher costs and no portability.
The renders are fantastic though and so are those trucks!
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Boxpod is a bit of a mouthful, what about 'BodPod'.
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Pete,
I like the concept and idea - the example of the London Olympics is relevant to me as my son found out @ his college orientation this past month that the marching band (he plays the tuba) will be marching and performing @ the olympics next summer. They are being housed in the dorms @ one of the uni's there - can't remember which one.
The other commercial uses mentiond really start to give this life, but the issues raised can be roadblocks. A couple that stand out are;
Utility connections- this would be expensive if they are done on a singular basis, and can be an impediment for location as well.
Fork-lift capability - you images show the fork lift approach @ door side. Not sure that would be good as that is the likely side (and the opposite) to take the most beating druing that movement. Also - the bottom "feet" would likely to be best not to be solid in either direction to allow for surf water drainage underneith in either direction - no matter if it is in place or in storage.
size - 80 sf is large for the functionality you are describing. You may be able to tighten that up a little.I like Bruce's idea of the insulation being injection molded, as well a the shell and plug-in core being seperate components. The durability / abuse issue is valid for container like units. Look at the images of the metal shipping containers again or even (as silly as it sounds) some sci-fi storage boxes - the sides are not flat for a reason.
Lastly - the singular concept may not be economically viable. How many instances do you think there would be a need for single units? It may make sense to develop them as doubles or quads. With the materials, etc. you are looking at I would imagine a smaller big-box hardware store type delivery truck with the small hoist could carry one or two multi-units and easily lift-drop them in place wherever you want. We have a lot of 24-7 Gas (shale fracking) work going on in my state right now and lodging for the workers is @ a premium. I could see small developments of these multi-units set on a quick pad to accomodate the transient workforce!
Dean
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Pete
Mate I love the idea though like other comments I see so many issues with the idea that they are constructed as one piece. One being the risk of damage to one area of the shell means replacement of the whole. I'm feeling mate your desire there is out weighing a better option and one that may produce a product with more options!
One big issue I see to overcome is just how the inner is moulded within the outer - as the inner would obviously need to be surfaced (non slip etc) the mould would need to be constructed each time and pulled down and out the door, for me this may negate any benefits of the one piece construction.
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