Dream & Fly. Mini Hotel Pods For The Weary Traveler.

Barcelona based company Dream & Fly has invented luxury low cost accommodations for busy people in transit who haven't the time to find a hotel nearby. By creating individual prefabricated micro-hotels (modular pods), complete with a bathroom, a weary traveler can nap or rest in a clean, comfortable, private and even wired space.



The Dream & Fly "bubbles" are modular accommodations intended to be installed within busy airports, sea ports, train stations or other areas in which large concentrations of people are constantly traveling and need a small comfortable private place to sleep or rest.



The modern luxury pods come with a complete bathroom and can be rented by hour. Inspired by the nature of a womb, the pods are meant to shield you from the frenetic pace of places like airports and seaports.



There are three sizes; the Simple Bubble measures 5 meters square, the Single Bubble measures 7 meters square and the Family Bubble is 10 meters square.

Exterior:

Interior:


A passenger can sleep for a few hours in a comfortable bed which can be either single or double, lie down on the pillows of the reclining headrest and work on a fold-out table with access to the internet. He or she can consult the boarding details of their flight on an LCD monitor on the wall and rest all of their newspapers on a shelf next to the bed, which is totally equipped with stations for mobile phones and mp3 players, with ambient sound and electric sockets.



The passenger can take a shower, in the privacy of their own space, where they can find a sink, toilet and modern shower made of stainless steel, reminiscent of airplane bathrooms.

For the family, the larger pod consists of a space with a sofa that transforms into a bed for a body and a half, a cradle or nappy changing facility for babies, and other comforts which demand more space.


above: the Micro-hotel pods as seen at a trade show



Visit Dream & Fly to learn more.

More Amazing Arboreal Architecture. Baumraum Tree Houses Part II.

above: Baumraum's King Of Frogs treehouse at night

When it comes to tree houses in which even the most urban dweller would feel at home, no one tops Baumraum of Germany.



Their architecturally stunning treehouses are a subject I covered once before, but it's time to wow with you with four (4) more of their latest incredible arboreal art/architecture.

The dwellings are designed in such a manner that they feel at home amongst the treetops but still have the modern style and chic comfort of a small prefab home. Skylights, curved windows, wood paneling, aluminum cladding and railings, built-ins and decks make these a far cry from the kind of tree houses your dad struggled to put up in the backyard when you were a kid.

The King Of Frogs Treehouse:


In a small private garden in Münster this space hovers above a flat pool, framed by high bamboo stilts. The visitors reach the staircase across 3 natural-stone steps between water-lilies.



The curved cabin in the middle of the pool is covered with a zinc-sheet and lamellas of tatajuba-wood underneath. It rests on eight asymmetrical arranged stilts. Large curved glass at the gables and slim windows at the sides lighten the interior and give a bright and transparent look to the cabin.



Inside the visitors notice the big curved rooftop-window above the pale lying surface. Below the bench on the opposite side drawers give enough storage space. Walls, floor and furniture made of white-glazed ash underline the bright and minimalistic character of the interior.




The terrace, made of tatajuba-wood, rests on four stainless-steel stilts and is big enough to relax comfortable on it. Some steps and a small catwalk lead the visitors to the cabin.






The World of Living Treehouse:


Baumraum constructed this treehouse in the World of Living, a park belonging to the firm Weberhaus in Rheinau-Linx, near the french town Strasbourg. The firm produces detached houses which are on display there.









This ambitious project is one of the attractions of the park and underlines the innovative orientation of Weberhaus. The treehouse was conceived of and produced by young apprentices of Weberhaus in cooperation with other partners.

More information about World of Living, the business hours and other attractions can be found on the website www.world-of-living.de

The Treehouse Djuren:


Located in Germany, the Djuren treehouse construction is divided into two parts: the lower terrace and the treehouse with a small terrace.





As the oaks cannot bear the complete weight of the building, the treehouse is propped up by four slanting supports on a concrete foundation. The trees carry the terraces by steel-ropes and textile-belts without damage to or injuring the tree.



The interior is furnished with a very spacious curved lying area opposite which sits a bench.



Beneath the bench are drawers made of acrylic-glass and bamboo-sticks.



From the lying area there is a fantastic view trough the roof-window into the treetop. The walls are covered white, the interior furniture and the floor are made of oak.




The Riverview Treehouse:


Perhaps this composition is not a real treehouse because it stands on stilts, but its qualities resemble one. It is far above the ground among the trees, and has a wonderful view.



The ensemble is located on a property with a steep slope. From the top of this slope one can access a ramp, which leads to a large terrace. From this position one gets a spectacular view of the city of Freudenburg and the Main river valley.



Wide stairs connect the lower terrace to an upper terrace, which holds a rounded cabin. The exterior materials are characterized by dark stained wood with contrasting stainless steel elements. The curving roof is covered with oxidized zinc.



The interior space gets its charm from the wide openings, which allow light to play against the curved white wall while offering panoramic views of the river valley. The furniture and floor is made from natural oak wood treated with oil. The mattress and bench are soft pads covered in light grey wool felt.



all info and images courtesy of Baumraum

contact info:
Andreas Wenning
dipl.-ing. architekt
roonstr. 49
28203 bremen
germany
tel. ++ 49 (0) 4 21. 70 51 22
a.wenning@baumraum.de

Be sure to see my the first post on the amazing Baumraum Treehouses

Mod Pods A Plenty: 10 Hip Prefab & Custom Office Spaces And Sheds

Small, modular, enclosed, insulated, wired, outfitted pods or sheds offer a great alternative to leasing or building office space and are becoming more and more popular these days. Usually more energy efficient and often made from eco-friendly materials, there are several design firms and manufacturers offering various sized pre-fabricated self contained buildings to lease or own.

The UK alone has several, and today I'm sharing three of those with you; OfficePOD, Garden Lodges and The Roosts. For those in the US, there's the kitHaus as well as several other pre-fab and modular sheds, homes and office spaces about which I've blogged before.

First up is a recent addition. A small but mod space to call your own- at least in the UK and Europe.

1. The Office Pod






The OfficePOD measures 2.1m x 2.1m (that's 6 feet 9 inches square) and does not require planning consent in the greater majority of cases. It's modular design enables speedy construction even in gardens with the most difficult access. The POD has been designed to provide appropriate security when empty or occupied.

The OfficePOD provides the user with an efficient use of space with innovative storage and desktop solutions.



High quality materials were carefully chosen for their combination of visual, physical and environmental characteristics. Power is provided via a discrete and protected connection to the house or garage; IT and phone connectivity is generally wireless but can be similarly cabled. The POD is provided with a secure locking system of the highest quality.






The preview of the Office POD at Grand Designs Live, a consumer show for design and innovation had people buzzing about the POD. One interesting outcome from their consumer market testing at the show is that they are now selling PODs to small home-based businesses and individuals. This is in addition to their core offering of the flexible leasing and service agreement model preferred by larger organizations.


Not available in North America. At least not yet.
all images courtesy of OfficePOD
Learn more here.

2. Garden Lodges
Need a little bigger space? Garden Lodges® of the UK makes garden offices and studios available for lease that are also fully insulated and complete with integral electrics for power and lighting and can be used as work studios, gyms, gameing rooms or music studios.






Learn about the available sizes as well as other models here.
all images and info courtesy of Garden Lodges

3, 4, and 5. TheRoosts


Roost is another UK company that makes three different modules, the R1 Oval, The R2 Aluminium, and the R3 Stealth. They also offer a bespoke service that is all about working with you and adapting their designs to suit your needs.

Below are their three 'off the rack' models.

R1 - Oval:





Clad in red western cedar with a fully low-e glazed frontage and sedum roof this striking oval roost is our signature piece, and it’s not difficult to see why. Unlike anything else on the market, it can be fitted out with a sofa, ottoman (which pushed together becomes a double bed) and desk to form an unbelievably versatile space. Simply the coolest garden studio around.

R2 - Aluminium:


For the ultimate in micro-living, this fully insulated, aluminium clad roost cleverly includes a micro-kitchen, shower, loo and living area with more than enough space to fit a sofa-bed. Perfect for an office or guest accommodation this multi-functional space measures in at a neat 2.8 x 4.5m. Cedar cladding also available.

R3- Stealth:




"The brief for the Stealth was pretty simple...To create a space within the parameters of a small garden that would exploit the northern light. The slightly unusual shape of the garden leant itself to something angular and immediately conjured up images of ‘stealth’ technology, whereby the multi-angled surfaces on airplanes, boats and other vehicles make them virtually invisible to enemy radar. With those initial ideas in mind, I took the two-dimensional plan of the garden and expanded it in to three dimensions. The result was a studio with a series of angular sides, all of which are mirrored on the inside by the sloping panelled walls." --Roost designer, Ben Huggins on the Stealth pod

all images and info courtesy of Roost.

6. kitHAUS


For those of us in the US, there's a wonderful selection from kitHAUS. Their modern modules by designers and co-founders Tom Sandanato and Martin Wehamm are available in various sizes, with aluminum construction impervious to rust (can also be clad in IPE wood) and are pre-constructed and drilled at the factory for easy installation.

kitHauses 1 and 2 can be combined and configured in many various ways, below is an example of K1B +K2L + K2B which equals 768 square feet:


K1 (289 square feet):


K2 (289 square feet):



Models K3 and K4 are available exclusively at Design Within Reach

K3 (117 square feet):


K4 (187 square feet)




To inquire about KitHAUS 1 and 2, please contact them directly here. The smaller Kithaus K3 ranges in price from $32,450 to $49,390, while the larger K4 model starts at $32,450 and can be outfitted with a full kitchen and/or bath. Kithaus is available exclusively through Design Within Reach. For more information or to place an order, please contact Dow O’Neal, Contract Sales Manager, at 415.676.6648 or kithaus@dwr.com.

In the past, I've blogged about other great examples, be sure to see the posts below!

7. The Orb


8. Neoshed


9. weeHouses



10. Pinc House Scandanavian prefabs