Innovative Design

9 Incredible Examples of Mobile Architecture

From tiny wooden summertime abodes in Finland to tricycle RV-style campers, “mobitecture” is really going places

April 18, 2017

An eclectic collection of mobile architecture is neatly cataloged in the new book Mobitecture: Architecture on the Move (Phaidon, $24.95), comprising everything from a minimalist floating sauna designed for use on Seattle’s Lake Union to a portable one-room summerhouse that can easily be moved around the forests of Scandinavia. Compiled by Rebecca Roke, who also authored Nanotecture: Tiny Built Things in 2016, this new, compact volume is divided into chapters like "No Wheels," "Three Wheels," "Sleds," and "Water," each one detailing resourceful structures that are, by turn, luxurious and bare-bones, elegant and outright unexpected. From disaster shelters to houseboats, cabins-on-wheels to tree-dwellings, no category is left unexplored in this inspiring compendium of wandering homes, huts, caravans, and tents from around the world—an ideal read for those contemplating, or merely daydreaming about, a more nomadic lifestyle.

Photo: Kevin Scott; Wa-Sauna, goCstudio, USA, 2015
1/10
This modern floating sauna, built for use on Seattle’s Lake Union, was funded thanks to a Kickstarter campaign and conceived as a way for locals to gather on the lake throughout the year.
Photo: Aventoza; Y-BIO, Archinoma, Ukraine, 2009
2/10
A café, a beach house and a relaxing hangout spot, this beach-tent designed for a windy, coastal site in Ukraine is shaped like an eight-pointed star and can be easily expanded or reduced in size by changing the material panels.

Photo: Cornelius Comanns; Bufalino, Cornelius Comanns, Germany, 2010
3/10
This souped-up version of the beloved Italian PIaggio Ape 50 van includes a bed, a fridge, storage for everyday wares and water, and room for seating and cooking. Conceived by the German designer Cornelius Comanns, who describes it as a kind of “base camp” for its owner, the so-called “Bufalino” even has a stylish plaid exterior.
Photo: Kevin Cyr; Camper Bike, Kevin Cyr, USA, 2008
4/10
This mini RV-style camper mounted on a Chinese tricycle is by the American artist Kevin Cyr. Though it looks like a literal mobile home-for-one, the piece is actually intended just for show—a statement about our varying cultural concepts of transport and living.

Photo: Dylan Euteneier; The Collingwood Shepherd Hut, Güte, Canada, 2015
5/10
As elegant as it is practical, this contemporary shingled shepherd’s wagon—designed for tough Canadian winters by homegrown handmade wagon specialists Güte—is kitted out with a wood-burning stove, timber bunk beds, and a double bed that transforms into a dining table and seating.
Photo: Max Missal; One of One, Monoarchitekten, Germany, 2009
6/10
This striking houseboat, which shifts from one spot to the next along the Eilbak Canal in Hamburg, Germany, is built across two levels. The aluminum-coated boat was designed to be multiuse: It can serve as a home, as an office, or even as a nightclub.

Photo: Markku Hedman; Sommer-Container, Markku Hedman, Finland, 2002
7/10
Aptly named the Sommer Container, this small wooden abode is intended to help Finns make the most of short Nordic summers, by allowing up to two people to easily make a home in the forest. It contains a convertible seat-sleeper and a built-in kitchenette, and can be towed away on a standard trailer.
Photo: Pierre Leguillon; Habitent, Lucy Orta, UK, 1992
8/10
As visually striking as it is functionally relevant, this waterproof poncho transforms into an inhabitable tent. Conceived by the English artist Lucy Orta, the piece was intended to raise awareness about issues of homelessness and displacement.

Photo: Dylan Gordan; Golden Gate 2, Jay Nelson, USA, 2014
9/10
Built by the artist-cum-surfer Jay Nelson, this timber vehicle is equipped with plenty of portholes to allow the occupant to keep an eye on the water, and on the next big wave.
10/10
Mobitecture: Architecture on the Move, Rebecca Roke, Phaidon.