But, this caterpillar shaped pod by Nomadic Resorts design team seemed to link the art world with its beautiful natural aesthetic. As the Treehugger post where I found this concept suggests, it is idealistic and escapist, but that can spell attractive for a tourist experience sought by some with lots of money but little experience with simple green living. The appeal would be a small but very expensive hospitality venue overlooking the Pacific Ocean in the heart of a beach community's active art community. Here are some of the details to describe the pods, called "the Looper", from the designers' website:
The Looper is a luxury pod inspired by the form of a caterpillar. The orthogonal structure uses a small volume of structural material to enclose a large internal volume in translucent fabric. The recycleable membrane flysheet lasts for decades, withstands the harshest environmental conditions, emits no volatile organic compounds and glows like a firefly at night.
LIGHTNESS
Each pre-fabricated product is designed for disassembly so that the units can be taken to pieces, packed into containers and shipped to a different location as and when required, Resorts and camps can change places to provide new, exciting experiences in destinations where conventional construction would be impossible.
LUXERY COMFORTS
The Looper is a 40m2 [430 sf] air conditioned resort villa that harvests rainwater, produces and stores solar energy and treats its own waste water.
The unit includes a fully functioning en-suite bathroom with solar hot water, a generously proportioned changing room, an air-conditioned sleeping area, a desk area and an outdoor living deck the roof of which can be opened and closed at the flick of a switch.
SPACE
The pod is perfectly proportioned for a luxurious break…the internal dimensions
are 10m long, 4m wide with a 3 m ceiling height [33 x 13 x10] and generous space for circulation. In addition the pod provides excellent privacy, acoustic insulation and it is protected against unwanted guests (such as mosquitoes)
CHILL
Okay, that last bit was pretty corny. But, regardless of this exact product which - full disclaimer that EYNU has no financial arrangement - is sourced in Europe, is meant for inspiration. Of course the concept is filled with local code hurdles beyond the biggest obstacle for all of us in Encinitas - who will own the land and how will it be financed?The hammock chill-out area has a dual purpose…in the day it is a great place to sunbathe, read a book, watch the wildlife or sip a beer but at night the retractable roof can be pulled down, the LCD projector ignited and the area is transformed into a cozy cinema experience where you enjoy your favorite film with a glass of wine.
The ability to dismantle and move these structures means sharing the site over a calendar year may require intense tourist focus at some points, children's exposure at another and overlapping use like art and garden use throughout the year.
This concept invites discussion of a diverse list of community interests coming together, along with the city of Encinitas to envision disparate yet linked interests and values. The self-sufficient living pods, luxery edition, are a way of keeping the numbers and footprints very small, but revenues large. And, very rich tourist will have a good story to tell.
Best of all, this is one small space offers a means of shifting away from consumption of stuff to investing in the offering of unique life experiences and valuable life learning that once practiced no one and nothing can take from another.
