MetaEfficient Reviews » Shelters

Whitepod: HyperEfficient Alpine Retreat

Justin — Thu, 28 Oct 2004 22:38:48 +0000

Whitepod is a zero-impact camp for ten guests situated over 1700m high in the Swiss Alps. It consists of five portable pods on platforms, which are removed in spring and leave absolutely no trace. The emphasis is on comfortable accomodation close to nature without negative environmental impacts.

Access is by ski or snowshoes only. There are no cars. No buses. No hotels. Nothing at all in fact, apart from the scenery of the Alps.

A creation of Swiss local, Sofia de Meyer, the pods are dome tents with wood burning stoves. Solar and rechargeable energy is used for lighting, sustainable local wood is used for heating and Ecover products are used for cleaning. Fresh local or organic meals are prepared by a chef. Sofia aims to completely eliminate all the camp’s carbon dioxide emissions, for full Ecotourism accreditation.

Home Page: Whitepod

Book Review: Portable Houses

Justin — Tue, 31 Aug 2004 02:36:50 +0000

When some people vacation, they take their homes with them.

Those are the people Irene Rawlings and Mary Abel write about in Portable Houses, a book devoted to all sorts of movable shelters and the people who created or renovated them. The examples featured in the book range in elaborateness from a canvas miner’s tent to a Boeing 737 jet and include a tree-hung tent, a few gypsy and sheep wagons and a Ski Haus that resembles a science-fiction rover. There’s even a 1966 Airstream trailer decked out by designers Victoria and Richard MacKenzie-Childs in their signature whimsical style.

The book isn’t intended to be a how-to manual, but it does include some helpful information for would-be owners such as what to look for, what to avoid and what a similar portable home might cost.

Available from: Amazon ($15.37)

The miner’s/wall tent (seen in photo) above available from Cabela’s and Wall Tent Shop.

Portable Summer Cabins

Justin — Sat, 31 Jul 2004 00:41:05 +0000

Mobility during the summer can be important. You may need to take that
certain someone to a cabin for a month by the dunes. These portable summer
cabins let you experience the outdoors in a comfortable, modern interior.
They have large windows and an acrylic dome skylight that allows plenty of
light inside.

The cabins, made by Pacific
Yurts, have minimal impact on the surrounding soils and, though durable,
can be removed without a trace. The architecture is a modern adaptation
of the ancient shelter used by Central Asian nomads.

The cost ranges from $4000-10000, depending on the options you choose. For
heating in colder seasons, add a stove and insulated walls. Hook it up with
a renewable energy system and the scene is complete.