With so many heritage-listed sites and national parks in Britain, there are tight restrictions on what can be permanently built and where. Designer Philip Crewe, however, has come up with the idea of Rural Space, a temporary living space powered by wind and solar energy, which helps people get closer to nature, in considerably more comfort than the standard tent or hostel.
The Rural Space has been designed with seasonal holidaymakers, festival-goers and school children in mind. Its low-impact design means it can be located where traditional houses can’t, such as greenbelt areas and national parks. It is designed so walls and windows open up, giving the feeling of being connected to nature, and letting it flow right through the room.
As a temporary structure, Rural Space is ideal for summer festivals and public events. The buildings can be erected on site en masse and rented out, then easily dismantled and moved to a new location or put into storage. And to enable it to be easily transported, the whole building can be loaded onto a truck.
It also has good eco credentials. Energy comes from a turbine and solar panels, while solar water heaters provide warm water for the shower. The compost-styled toilet doesn’t require flushing, which saves water. Run-off tanks for the shower and a cesspit for the compost toilet are buried in the ground under the floor, or they can be connected to temporary surface tanks.
The Rural Space is design to be built and maintained, using traditional rural craftsmanship, from sustainable, locally sourced materials, such as beach and ash trees.