People can go camping with the comfort of a camper without actually having one, thanks to Czech firm Studio 519, who has designed a plywood module for camping, dubbed Nestbox.
The unit, developed for Czech company Egoé, fits into the trunk/boot of a car and can be expanded into a double bed, with a fully equipped kitchen. It comes in four sizes to suit various vehicles and can be customized with modules such as a camping shower attachment, a mini-fridge, a pop-up sink, and a cooker.
While driving, these components are stored into a steel-backed mainframe, which, its largest size, measures a little over 1 meter long and half a meter tall and wide.
On arrival, the fold-away attachments and space-saving drawers allow the Nestbox to be converted into a complete cooking and sleeping set-up in a few minutes. “Our main goal was to achieve a similar level of comfort to a motorhome within the confines of a van,” said Richard Vodička, the head of Studio 519.
Vodička explained:
We happily gave up the convenience of a flush toilet, which you get in a camper, in favor of more freedom when traveling. By expanding the possibilities of a regular van, you facilitate a way of traveling that is far richer in experiences. It allows you to slow down your life and get closer to nature.
A panel of slats stored on top of the mainframe during travel can be unfolded over the car’s collapsed back seats to set up the bed’s mainframe, and a foldable mattress tops it off. The kitchen is compacted into one large drawer; it can be pulled out from the trunk to provide counter space to chop food or make sandwiches and access the mini-fridge and cooker.
The collapsible sink is integrated into a drop-leaf panel that can be stored away while not in use. An assortment of smaller drawers was designed to store kitchen supplies, with slots carved out of the wood to hold cutting boards and knives firmly.
The entire design consists of locally sourced birch plywood, which creates a warm feeling and brings a sense of nature and’ home’ into the vehicle’s interior. “The materials and the color scheme stand in contrast to classic automotive aesthetics and are more likely to evoke a sense of home,” said Vodička.
Vodička added:
Except for the folding washbasin, everything is locally sourced and made in the Czech village of Bílovice or its surrounding area. The designers and the people who manufacture the kits work on the same grounds. This kind of immediate feedback is very important for us.
Vodička believes that Nestbox can offer a renewed sense of motivation to holidaymakers and an alternative travel mode.
He said:
We are in the middle of a mindset shift right now. Global travel restrictions have caused people to rethink what they expect from their vacations and their leisure time. Nestbox is able to give its users a sense of privacy, security, and, most importantly, freedom.
Watch the Egoé team set up the Nestbox in a Ford Transit Custom in the video below.
