In a world with such a rapidly expanding population, space has become a valuable commodity. This rings true particularly in countries like India, the second most populous country in the world where citizens are tightly packed into cities.
One man has recognized this problem and come up with his own unique solution, taking the iconic rickshaw usually seen daubed in vibrant paint, taxiing fares around the crowded streets of Mumbai and transforming it into a tiny yet fully furnished camper that would make even the proudest RV owner reconsider how much space he really needs to live in.
Arun Prabhu, an architect from the Southern tip of India, was inspired to create the Solo 01 after seeing the poor utilization of space in India’s many slums, and wanted to create an affordable housing solution not just for people living below the poverty line but also travelers and businessmen too.
Topography, material, aesthetics and weight balance were all constraints that had to be considered during the design phase, but he has managed to create a detachable habitation unit which is perfectly weight-balanced on the back of a tiny TukTuk.
He used scraps of metal from old buses and demolished buildings, although you wouldn’t know to look at the camper’s retro orange painted exterior.
He designed the space to be utilitarian, not just minimalist, and flexible too, able to house two people while providing a commercial space for vendors at the same time.
The 6’x6’ space includes a kitchen, a bedroom, an office, a bathroom and an outdoor space.
How? You might be wondering. Well, it all comes down to good design.
Enter the Solo 01 and you’ll find a compact kitchen on one side with a small sink, a hot plate, glass-fronted cupboards, utensils storage and just enough countertop space to prepare a meal.
The so-called “second floor” is comprised of a mezzanine bed raised 3.5ft off the floor with an integrated laptop desk- this makes up the office.
Just below this you’ll find the bathroom in the form of a portable toilet and unbelievably even a tiny bathtub hidden beneath a cover; for the shower however you’ll have to look outdoors as it’s attached to one side of the unit, although both are fed by a 250L water tank.
The camper is complete with a rooftop deck with sun shade and lounger, a small drop down porch for entry, a clothes airer for drying washing and a 600W solar panel affixed to the roof.
While not much bigger than the Electro Frosh camping scooter halfway across the world in Germany, the Solo 01 manages to pack in all of the living essentials into one of the best-utilized space we’ve ever inside a camper.
The bad news? It’s just a prototype, and Arun’s company The Billboards Collective doesn’t seem to have any plans to put them into production. Looks like we’ll just have to settle for admiring this tiny towering TukTuk from afar for now.
Source: The Billboard’s Collective
