The pandemic has given a boost to road trips, local travel, and camping as borders remain shut and air travel increases risks. The easiest way to catch your breath, take a break, and spend time away from home while rejuvenating is to go to a local camping ground! While looking at interesting campsites I found Culture Campsite which was designed by architects to be an urban oasis filled with quirky pods that will give you the escape you’re craving while not ‘wasting’ any resources or time!

A team of Dutch designers and artists transformed a concrete parking lot in Rotterdam’s Delfshaven area into a sustainable urban camping ground making it more accessible for people. There is a range of cool architectural cabins to choose from and they are all built using upcycled and waste stream materials. The idea was to show not tell – this way people could experience living in a sustainable structure themselves and find that it can be incorporated into their lifestyle! The pods are all smaller than a tiny house but way more exciting than a tent because of their unique builds and each of them showcases innovative sustainable elements. Every cabin offers a special experience and my favorite one is the Val Ross cabin because it reminds me of the rocket emoji (yes, I am a space nerd!). Val Ross is Swedish for walrus and is constructed from old animal silos which are tall towers used to store food on a farm. It has one bedroom with a double-bed which is comfortable for 1-2 people. The cabin is insulated for the colder seasons and has a cool circular window like we imagine rockets to have!

“The principle of waste architecture is designing and sketching with the materials and objects that are available. Playing with form, material, and color leads to new insights and forms that cannot be imagined on a white sheet of paper. It requires a different way of designing to change, adapt and merge existing forms,” says Boris Duijenveld, founder of Mud (Mobile Urban Design) Projects and one of the designers from the artistic collaboration that gave us Culture Campsite. Meals will be served at the geodesic done and, yes, there is a communal bathroom area for your other needs. You can also enjoy yoga classes, outdoor activities, and a multi-day course on tiny house design so you can come up with your own sustainable cabin! It is surely different from a traditional camping trip and gives you a little Narnia moment in the city where you can escape to from time to time.

Designer: Mud Projects