Second Year, Professor Bruce Swetnam, University of Kentucky

Completed as a part of Bruce Swetnam’s second-year studio, this proposal was for the creation of movable living units (jokingly dubbed “glorified campers”) that could be used as outdoor retreats for anything from business outings to education symposiums. The units were required to meet highway codes for moving and even more difficult transportation requirements down gravel roads on site, such that they might be moved from site to site as a retreat group would trek through one of Bernheim’s wooded trails. This particular project was designed to optimize the comforting form of a cocoon and address programmatic needs inside, using a CNC-millable frame as a more sturdy alternative to a traditional tent while still using the same cladding technology. The living pods would be set up on arrayed mounds of compacted dirt that would protect the pod from puddling rain while also serving as a permanent art installation for passing hikers when the pods were absent.

The studio as a whole gained a lot of local publicity, from Bernheim’s website to UKNOW and the Kentucky Kernel.