Architecture

Festival pods made from recycled plastic waste

Festival pods made from recycled plastic waste
Currently, the pods are made using 75 percent recycled plastic, but Above All C6(n) plans to move to 100 percent recycled plastic manufacture in the future
Currently, the pods are made using 75 percent recycled plastic, but Above All C6(n) plans to move to 100 percent recycled plastic manufacture in the future
View 4 Images
The temporary housing units can be stacked to form a pod mountain
1/4
The temporary housing units can be stacked to form a pod mountain
Currently, the pods are made using 75 percent recycled plastic, but Above All C6(n) plans to move to 100 percent recycled plastic manufacture in the future
2/4
Currently, the pods are made using 75 percent recycled plastic, but Above All C6(n) plans to move to 100 percent recycled plastic manufacture in the future
Each pod comprises six shell components and can be transported to site flat-packed
3/4
Each pod comprises six shell components and can be transported to site flat-packed
Company logos or disaster relief contact details can be displayed on the exterior of the recycled plastic pods
4/4
Company logos or disaster relief contact details can be displayed on the exterior of the recycled plastic pods
View gallery - 4 images

For about 8 years, Above All C6(n) out of Dorset, UK, has been designing and engineering sustainable structures for use in the construction industry. The company's most recent project is a temporary shelter made mostly from recycled plastic that's designed for use at music festivals, sporting events or as homeless or crisis accommodation.

The Modular, Extensible, Scalable and Reusable Tecnic structures are created in kit form, so that a variety of different configurations are possible from base components made using flaked, single use plastic, predominantly from water bottles. The latest addition to the project is a pod that's currently made from 75 percent recycled plastics, but will move to 100 percent in the future.

The temporary shelter is made up of six shell components that can be flat-packed for ease of transportation and assembled on site. Solar power, an eco water supply and a bio toilet will be incorporated as part of the design.

Company logos or disaster relief contact details can be displayed on the exterior of the recycled plastic pods
Company logos or disaster relief contact details can be displayed on the exterior of the recycled plastic pods

The outer shell is ready to receive custom logos or advertising – the name of a pod hire company, for example, or contact details of a disaster relief non-profit – and the units can be stacked to form a kind of pod mountain.

"The Pod provides an instant, reusable accommodation solution," said the firm's founder Charlie Hall. "It's warm, comfortable and lockable. And while we are currently piloting the two-person unit, they will be ultimately be extendable and stackable with the potential to create entire 'villages.' But what makes it especially appealing is the fact that it provides a permanent use for single use plastic."

The first pod prototype debuted late last year and Above All C6(n) will begin creating a "bespoke modular living space for a client that will provide an alternative holistic solution to the outdoor accommodation market" shortly.

Source: Above All C6(n)

View gallery - 4 images
6 comments
6 comments
paul314
How much plastic does it use? (There's a tension here: you want to use as little as possible for cost and transportation and so forth, but you also want to sequester as much trash-bound plastic as possible.)
jerryd
Excellent use if reused and should be if not, flat packed. I've been amazed at how little 2nd hand plastic isn't used to make a lot more stuff. PET is extremely strong, on the order of metal as it gets thicker can be made to any strength at a reasonable weight. And all you need to do is melt, filter and mold it into whatever you want. They have made cars from it even. Bags, much other plastics can make mostly gasoline, diesel fractions by simply distilling them and taking off products at various temps and used for heating , RE backup power, etc. Plastics is a huge resource to make money and gets rid of them yet for some reason they stack up in waste yards.
rjbaum
This is brilliant! Be sure to bring that pod to the festival, plop it down in the front row (with all the other inconsiderate morons using tents and tarps and lord knows what else) and block the view for those of us that actually come to listen to the music and see the show.
dleader
NO INFO on what it takes assemble these.
Tom Lee Mullins
I think it has a lot of potential with it being used in so many ways.
Above All C6(n)
We launched the idea late last year as an affordable accommodation unit at festivals. With the additional response for homeless shelter and disaster relief, we intend to pilot a test run of 10 to 50 with production beginning in March. The reason for the time delay is that we are making sure we have modularity of the six extremely lightweight parts and that solar for basic power with upgrade to thermal control and an option for a waterless en-suite restroom can be added. If more information is required about any specifics, or interested in our pilot run, please head over to our website or contact us on info@c6n.co.uk